Children of Earth and Fire: Book 1
by Nerdy J Fics
Summary: A stubborn, sassy Earthbending prisoner, and an angry, angst-ridden Firebending prince. On a ship together in the middle of the ocean. Yeah, nothing could possibly go wrong there...right? Rated T because I'm a fraidy cat :D DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, it sure as heck isn't mine! May 29th: YO MY BROCHACHOS!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N hey guys! So this is my first fanfiction. I hope that didn't send anyone running... Haha... *Cricket chirps* anyway, I really hope you enjoy because I am super nervous! Please let me know how I did, okay? Thanks for reading!** **-Nerdy J**

* * *

"Fire Nation! It's a raid!"

The cry echoed through the village, a call to battle for all Earthbenders. I growled and ran towards the docks. _You're not getting any victories today_. There they stood, the cowards behind white masks. One did not hide behind the uniform of a Fire Nation soldier, but was decked out in full armor. My mind moved swiftly, deciphering the difference. _In front. Different uniform. Leader. He's mine._

The Firebenders rushed forward, flames issuing from their clenched fists as they moved forward in perfect formation. I felt many presences behind me, and smiled. My village was behind me. I fought my way through multiple soldiers. I made my way to the clear leader of the raiders.

I shouted in anger and launched a ripple through the ground. The wave of earth sent the Firebender flying backwards, crashing into a nearby house. Hey, I may be a skinny little teenage girl, but threaten my home, my family... And somebody's going to get hurt.

The Firebender shot up, firing off a rapid series of flaming kicks and punches. _Not today, Firebender._ I raised a wall between me and my enemy, quickly taking this opportunity to burrow beneath the ground. I could hear the Firebender break through my divide, fairly quickly, I noted. There were his footsteps, just overhead... And I broke to the surface, wasting no time in locking him in place with tight slabs of rock.

He growled, rage in his wicked amber eyes. The left eye was marred by a roughlooking scar. _What the hell happened to his eye?_ I ducked as the Firebender breathed fire at my head. I just smirked.

"Not today, pretty boy. You're my prisoner. Not the outcome you planned on, now was it, flame demon ?" I hissed the last words.

"Shut up! Release me at once, you filthy peasant!" he shouted.

I narrowed my eyes and grabbed him by that stupid black ponytail of his. "I don't know how exactly it works where you come from, flame demon, but here, prisoners don't make demands. They plead for their lives. Although, considering you're from the Fire Nation, I doubt prisoners can make demands there either."

I stomped my foot, and began sliding the stone prison along. "Like it or not, you're gonna have to answer to my father for this. And I doubt he's in a merciful mood." The Firebender began to shout angrily, but I cut him off with a sharp stone to the jaw. "Silence, Firebender."

We arrived at my house within a minute, and I left him trapped in the woods behind it. Close enough that I could find him, far enough that his Fire Nation buddies couldn't.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, flame demon, I have a battle to win. I'll be back soon." I snapped on my black, fingerless gloves, and ran out into the streets of my village once more. We were under attack, and I was going to kill the next Firebender I saw.

* * *

I hissed in fury as the insolent girl ran off. _How the hell did I get captured by a weak Earthbender girl?!_ _No. She's more than a little girl. She must be a prodigy of some sort!_ I surveyed my options. None of them were realistic. The sneaky brat had caught my arms and legs together in such an awkward position, I couldn't possibly produce enough fire to make a difference. I had my firebreath, but there wasn't a way to get a good angle on the rock. Plus, I'd probably just burn down the forest.

Okay, that was actually a good idea, but not one that would help me escape, and it would most likely just provoke the little worm further. All I could really do was wait. Uncle Iroh would find me soon. Hopefully before the peasant returned.

About half an hour passed. Half an hour of me plotting my revenge.

"Zuko? Are you here?"

I smiled. It was time to conquer this village. Take the defiant Earthbenders out of the picture. And deal with the wicked little girl.

* * *

We couldn't keep this up much longer. Most of our benders had already been captured. _Why are they attacking us?! Dumb question. It's because they're Fire Nation. Being evil is kinda their thing._ Soon it was down to two of us. Just me and my dad, back to back.

"Misuki," he said, "We can't win."

I launched yet another earthquake at a group of men."Yes we can! Don't give up, Dad!" We fought hard, but there were at least ten times more Firebenders than there were us. I realized that my dad was no longer behind me.

 _I have to win. I have to save them!_ Suddenly, there was an intense heat beneath my chin, and an arm restraining my own.

"Not the outcome you planned on, now was it, Earthbender?" A voice, hoarse and cold. I realized very quickly that this was the Firebender I had captured earlier, and he was holding a small but powerful flame to my throat.

"Let... go, flame...demon," I spoke as boldly as I dared, careful to not move my head, which was in danger due to the fire beneath my chin.

"Be silent, peasant. You're lucky that I'm not killing you here and now."

"Come on, men, let's get these Earthbenders onboard the ship." A tall, well built man reached for me. The scarred Firebender that still held me pulled me back.

"You can take the rest of them. This girl..." He released the flame, and pulled my chin harshly to the side so he could look me in the eye. Green met gold. "Is my personal prisoner."

"You wish, flame demon," I whispered.

A swift stomp of my foot sent a sharp spike of rock between us, catching the Firebender in the face. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, bringing a solid wall of earth along with me on either side to keep the soldiers away. I made it to the woods, and ran along the dry riverbank. _I'm going to make it! I'm going to outrun them...!_ I felt something wrap around my ankles, and I fell to the ground, skidding along for several feet before stopping.

I rolled over on my side, thrusting my hands into the air in a vain attempt to take out the boy with the black hair, but I just laid there wide eyed as he effortlessly leapt over the stones. I couldn't sit up, and lying on the ground left me at an awkward angle for strikes. My hits became wilder and more desperate the closer the Firebender came. _I'm finished. Done for. Today I am going to die at the hand of a Firebender and never get to tell my family goodbye._

He caught my fists in his own hands, quickly flipping me onto my stomach and securing my hands behind my back. He picked me up roughly by the hair. I was so short, that he easily held me up without my feet touching the ground. I could feel the heat from his hand radiating towards my scalp. I was surprised that my hair wasn't on fire yet.

"I swear, Earthbender, you try and escape one more time, and I will take your life. Don't tempt me."

I glared at him with as much ferocity as I could muster, considering the fact that my head was on fire (not literally, thank goodness) from the grip he had on my braid.

"Go ahead, Firebender. I don't care for my life if it means having to look at your ugly mug one minute longer."

He narrowed his eyes at me. It looks like he literally has fire in them.

"Maybe you don't care about your life," he hissed, "But maybe you care about the lives of your family and neighbors? You try and get away once more, and I will not hesitate to wipe out the entire village."

 _No!_ I didn't move my eyes from his for an instant. _Don't show you pain. Don't show your weakness. Don't show your fear._

"I'll go with you."

He looked surprised at first, and then insufferably smug. "Good choice, peasant. Not as stupid as you look, then. Let's get back."

He didn't break a sweat as he tossed me over his shoulder and began carrying me in the direction we came. The woods I had run through just minutes before passed in a blur, and we arrived in the village. I spotted my house from the corner of my eye.

"Wait."

He scowled at me. "What?"

 _He won't let me. But I can't leave knowing I didn't try._

"Can't I at least say goodbye to my family? Since I'm apparently never going to see them again?"

He didn't even think about it. "No! Maybe you should have been thinking about your precious family when you attacked me!"

I scoffed. "And what's so special about you, bigoted brat?"

He growled and was about to retort when an elderly man approached us.

"Zuko! This is the Earthbender you are taking prisoner? She is only a child!"

"She is a dangerous bender, Uncle! I can't allow this menace to go free!"

I narrowed my eyes at the younger man. "I already promised you my freedom. The least you can do is let me see my family... Or what's left of it. You've already taken my father." I snapped.

The white haired man shot the boy a harsh look. "Zuko! You are better than this. Put the girl down."

The tall teen growled, dropping me on the hard soil. I coughed slightly as the dust around me kicked up. The older man, who was apparently this Firebender's uncle, undid the cord from around my ankles. I noticed that it had weights on either end. _That's how he threw it._

The elder of the two smiled sadly at me. "Where do you live?"

I turned my head and tossed it towards the small house we had just passed.

He nodded. "Go on, my dear. Say your farewells."

I narrowed my eyes at the man for a moment. _Why is he helping me?_ Deciding to decipher his motives later, I stood and walked towards my home.

The boy (what was his name? Zuko?) protested, but his uncle must have restrained him. I pressed the door open with my shoulder, since my hands were still shackled. I ran to the table in the middle of the room. My mom was kneeled beside it, embracing my brother, who was crying.

"I'm home," I said softly.

Mom looked up with relief, and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Misuki! What... Where's your father? Everyone's been coming by in a panic! They said that all the Earthbenders were captured!"

I could barely hold back my tears anymore. "Yes Mom. We were."

She noticed that my hands were bound. "Misuki... What..."

"That Firebender decided to take me as his personal prisoner. Guess I messed with the wrong guy... Mom... I'll be fine." I couldn't let them worry about me.

My brother stood up, looking angry and afraid all at once. "No! They can't!"

I smiled sadly at him. "Don't worry, Haru. These Firebending bastards can't break me. I'll come back one day."

Haru shook in anger. "I'll fight them! I'll do everything I can to get you back home!"

 _No._ "Haru, you have to promise me something!" My voice was urgent. I knew I was almost out of time.

"Anything, Misuki!"

I looked my younger brother firmly in the eye. "Never ever let anyone know you can Earthbend. They'll take you too. I can't... I can't let that happen. Swear it."

He shook his head. "I have to! I'll drive off those flame demons!"

I could hear the Firebender stomping up the path. "Swear it!" I screamed.

Haru nodded, fear obvious in his tan face. I felt a heated presence behind me.

"That's long enough. We are setting sail. Now!"

I stood between him and my family. "Get out of my home! I'll come out in a minute! I already promised you, didn't I?!"

He glared fiercely at me. "You have one minute. Then I'm dragging you out the door!" He marched back out.

Mom sobbed as she hugged me tight again. "What did you promise him, Misuki?"

I took a deep breath. "That's... not important. Don't worry. I will come back one day. I have to go now. I love you both so much," I whispered.

Haru touched my face solemnly. "I won't let them know that I can bend. But I won't give up, either." I choked back a sob as he went on. "Don't show your pain. Don't show your weakness. Don't show your fear." Haru looked at me sadly.

"Don't let them see that it hurts," I finished it for him. "G-goodbye." I wanted them to see me walk out on my own. Not be dragged screaming by an angry Firebender.

* * *

I blinked back my tears. _Don't show your pain._ The prince clearly didn't care that he had just torn my family apart, as he grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me along towards the piers. _Retreat inside yourself. Pretend you're not here. This is just some horrible story you're reading._ I didn't pay attention to anything that happened. It felt like only a second passed before he threw me onto the deck of the ship. _Where's the old guy? If nothing else, he treated me like a human._ I winced slightly as the my face met the cold surface of the warship. _Don't show your weakness._ I shot daggers at the taller boy with my eyes. I wouldn't speak to him, though, I decided. I got the feeling that not responding to him would drive him mad.

His boot was on my face. "A few rules, peasant. One, no trying to escape. It would be a pain to have to sail all the way back here to crush your pathetic town. Two, no fighting. Obviously you won't be able to Earthbend on a metal ship in the middle of the ocean, but you seem the type to try and fight with or without your bending. And the third..."

He pressed his foot a bit harder into the side of my face. "It would be in your best interests to not anger me. I am not a patient person. Do you understand?"

I ignored him.

"I asked you a question, Earthbender. Answer me!"

 _Nope, I'm good, thanks for the offer!_ He growled, and I felt flames lick my back, eating away at my clothing, and making contact with my skin. It burned so bad! _Don't... Show your weakness..._ I ground my teeth together. I refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing my screams. _Don't let them see that it hurts._ That was my last thought before I fell unconscious. It had only taken a few seconds for this Firebender to break me.

* * *

 **UPDATED A/N (JULY 12TH, 2017) Oh my word guys how did you get through that mess? Now I'm shocked that I have any readers. You brave souls, washing through those GIANT paragraphs! Bless you! Well, the writing is still crap, but I'm not doing rewriting right now. At least I made it feasible to get through. Geez.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everybody! I was going to wait for a while before working on this next chapter, assuming I wasn't going to have many readers. Then, everything changed when the reviewers attacked. Sorry, couldn't resist. ;) Anyway, I actually got two reviews, so I was suddenly very motivated to crank out this chapter. A special thank you to AngelAmongTheStars for your critiques and encouragement! It really meant so much to me.**

 **I don't know if I'm required to put this or not, but there is a suicide attempt in this chapter...? Nothing serious or really graphic, mostly just a few suicidal thoughts. Once again, I don't know if you need to know that, but there it is.**

 **Enjoy! Please review!**

* * *

I woke up in a small cell in the ship. Ow... I cringed. _Okay then. Guess I'm not going to move, you know, at all. That monster... What the hell is wrong with him?!_ I was just lying there. Tied up, unable to move, unable to bend. Completely defenseless. And he went and burned me because I wouldn't answer him! I always knew that the Fire Nation was horrible. I didn't know that they started being evil so young, though.

I heard heavy footsteps approach my cot.

"Miss? Are you awake?"

 _The old guy._

"Yes."

He gently helped me sit up, and I bit my tongue to prevent myself from making any noises of pain. _Don't show your weakness_.

"I've brought you some food and tea. You must be hungry after yesterday's events."

I shook my head. I had already made up my mind. I wasn't going to accept anything from these bastards who took me from my home. If that meant starving to death, then so be it. At the least, it would provide an escape from this place. He studied my face carefully. I wiped it clean of any thought or emotion.

"I am Iroh. The angry young man you met earlier is my nephew. What is your name?"

I grunted.

"I know you are not mute, I heard you speak earlier. You may as well tell me your name."

I shot him a dirty look. "What? If I don't, will you burn me too?"

Iroh bowed his head sadly. "That was an accident. My nephew allowed his temper to get out of control, and as his anger was directed towards you, he accidentally burned you. I assure you, he would not have done it otherwise."

I snorted and turned away. The man was clearly delusional. That or an evil genius trying to gain my trust.

I heard more footsteps and I stiffened slightly. An Earthbender can distinguish between people's footsteps if they've been around them enough. And being dragged across the village by Zuko definitely imprinted his gait in my mind.

"Uncle? Mind giving us a moment alone?"

 _Don't go! He'll kill me! Don't show your fear._ I heard the old man leave and the cell door shut behind him. I was alone with the Firebender who had taken me from my family, and burned me.

"If you're going to kill me, let's make it fast. I have better things to do than sit around and wait for you to take me out." I spoke loudly.

He sighed. "I'm not going to kill you. Why would I bother taking you prisoner unless I wanted you alive?" he snapped.

 _That's it. Starving will take too long._ I began to beat my head against the wall as hard as I could.

"Hey! Stop that!" I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me from the bed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Zuko yelled.

I blinked. Darn. I didn't get enough hits in.

"You think I'm gonna let you keep me here? Torture me? Make the rest of my life miserable? No way. I told you I wouldn't escape, but I never said that I wouldn't die!" I hissed.

He seemed stunned at my words, which caused his grip to unconsciously loosen. I slipped away and returned to hitting my head on the cold wall.

"Guards! I need some help with the prisoner!"

* * *

It took five guards to tear her away from the wall. Which was very impressive, considering how small the girl was. She was five inches shorter than me, and probably weighed only a hundred pounds, if not less. She was just... Strong? Impossible. No one could be that powerful. I have to say, it... Almost concerned me that this seemingly unmoving, stubborn girl had already made up her mind to take her own life. Maybe I should have just left her... No. With power like hers, she would have found a way to escape, and bring the rest of the Earthbenders with her. It's for the best that I've isolated her from the others. Besides, Father will be pleased with me, having a prodigy like her in his custody.

She had clearly done some damage, as her forehead already had a nasty coat of black and blue bruises.

"What is the matter with you?" I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Please." She looked tired. "I just want to die. Kill me, please. I don't have anything left to live for. Are you really going to be so cruel as to keep me alive?"

Her big, forest green eyes pleaded with me. But for some reason she wasn't crying. _How strong is she? She's just told me to kill her, she's been dragged away from her home, for Agni's sake, but she's not crying?!_

"I'm not going to kill you! Ugh, someone go get my Uncle!" _What am I supposed to do with a suicidal prisoner?! I don't have any leverage over her if she is unafraid of pain. She could just run around like a crazy person, and we would have no threats that would stop her._

Uncle entered the room. "Zuko! What happened?"

I shot a glare at the Earthbender. "She tried to kill herself, that's what happened!" Muttering something under her breath, the short girl looked away.

I leaned in close to her face, speaking slowly. "You are my prisoner. No one is killing themselves on my watch. I need you to be alive when I bring you to my father!"

She stared at me in annoyance. "A name would be helpful. Do I look like I know your family history?"

I rolled my eyes. "You should. My father is the Fire Lord, you idiotic peasant!"

Her tan face drained of all color. "No!" she screamed. She broke free of the guards who were holding her, and she lunged at me, taking me to the ground.

I wrestled to get on top of the crazy Earthbender, only to have her back knuckle me in the nose. I pinned her arms to the ground, ignoring the blood streaming steadily from my nose. She spat in my face and twisted away. I didn't want to use fire; that would just take us back to square one. So instead, I tackled her around the waist and put her on her face.

"What's the matter with you?" I shouted.

She wouldn't stop writhing. "No! I won't go there!" she screamed.

She's hysterical. She's absolutely lost it.

"Stop fighting, you're just making it worse on yourself," I said in annoyance.

She turned her head to look at me, breathing heavily. She let out a short, humorless bark of a laugh.

"You are a fool, then, _Prince_ ," she growled. "If you think for one second that I will ever stop fighting. I will never stop. In a week, you will be begging for me to get off your ship. I'm more trouble than I'm worth. I think you will learn that very, very soon."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You underestimate me, peasant. You think I'm going to let an Earthbender like you get away? Mind games don't work on me. That is something that _you_ will learn very, very soon." I pushed her head to the ground roughly.

"I want a set of guards on her twenty-four seven. Congratulations, Earthbender. You just put yourself on suicide watch."

She glared at me with big, deep green eyes as the soldiers and I walked out, two men taking positions up just outside her cell.

"This isn't over, flame demon."

I shook my head with a smirk as I pulled the cell door closed. "Big talk from such a small girl."

She growled and made to yell something else at me, but I just walked away.

* * *

I shouted in frustration, unleashing a barrage of attacks into the air above the ocean. Breathing heavily, I yelled at the night sky.

"What the hell? Why me? Why did I help them?!" I punched a fist of fire into the once calm air, suddenly very angry with myself.

I couldn't believe what I had done. So a company was making a raid. What else was new? So my ship happened to be passing by at the most inopportune time. What else was new?

"I should have said no!" I shouted.

Of all the stupid things I could have done... I had to say yes. I just had to agree to take part in the raid.

"That bastard," I growled. Slow, steady steps came up behind me. I knew it had to be Uncle. Who else on this Agni forsaken ship would dare to approach me when I was like this.

"Leave me alone, Uncle. I don't want to talk right now," I said, annoyance seeping into my voice.

He came up anyway, of course. Since when did my wanting to be alone stop him from spouting wisdom?

"You helped your countrymen. Is that such a bad thing?"

I turned to him angrily. "That Captain knew just how to push my buttons. He got me to volunteer and I volunteered my men, because I got angry. Yes, that's a bad thing! I shouldn't have had to help! I shouldn't have been out there at all!" I shouted.

"You must learn to control your temper, Prince Zuko. If you can be convinced to rise up everytime your honor is questioned, then this will not be the last such occurance," he said sagely.

"If I don't defend my honor, no one else will," I muttered. "I'm just so... Ugh! And that girl! She did the same thing! She got me riled up, and I took her prisoner. She deserved it, but now I have to deal with an annoying, suicidal Earthbender!" I stormed down to my cabin, the previous day's happenings playing through my head.

* * *

" _ **Prince Zuko, it is wonderful to see you," the captain said, bowing slightly.**_

 _ **"Get to the point. Why are you on my ship?" I hissed.**_

 _ **The man smiled slightly, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced up and down the deck.**_

 _ **"You see, Prince Zuko, my men and I are making a raid on the village of Shago, a small village nearby. There are many powerful Earthbenders living there, and two companies before my own have fallen to them. I am not willing to risk the same fate befalling us."**_

 _ **I narrowed my eyes, suspicion beginning to come upon me.**_

 _ **"I don't see how this has anything to do with me, Captain."**_

 _ **He turned to face me again, eyebrows raised. "I thought it would be clear by now. I would like to request the assistance of you and your men. Power in numbers, after all."**_

 _ **My lip curled slightly. "You are on your own, Captain. I have my own mission to pursue, and it's much more important than any trivial Earth Kingdom town."**_

 _ **He laughed. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, but I would never have thought those rumors were true. So you truly are dishonorable."**_

 _ **I took one step and was in his face, flames expelling from my clenched fists.**_

 _ **"What did you say?" I growled.**_

 _ **He stepped back, raising his hands in defense. "I mean no offense, Prince Zuko. I just didn't think I would see the day when a prince of the Fire Nation, the heir to the throne, no less, would turn his back on his country."**_

 _ **I met his state unblinkingly. Our eyes locked in place for what seemed like hours, but was probably only seconds.**_

 _ **"Fine," I snapped. "I'll help you."**_

 _ **His smile did not reach his brown eyes as he nodded crisply. "I thank you, Prince Zuko. I did hope that you would agree." With that, he walked across the bridge laid out between our two ships, and I hit my head in frustration.**_

* * *

 _That spoiled little brat is going to rue the day he put me on this ship. Speaking of which, who does that?_! I groaned softly, making sure not to attract the attention of the guards. How dare he?! Capturing me is one thing. Separating me from my element? That is just unforgivable. I had barely been on this ship for twenty-four hours, and I could already feel the effects of being away from the earth. A small tray of food clattered softly to the steel floor in front of me, containing a bowl of rice and a cup of tea. I turned my head away, waiting for the man who had brought it to leave.

"If you don't start eating, we'll have to inform Prince Zuko. Believe me, you don't want that. You're lucky that he's left you alone so far. If he hears about this... He will be pretty mad."

I snorted. "From what I can hear above deck that's not exactly a rare occurrence around here."

The man laughed a little. "Fair enough. But you really should eat. You don't want to starve, do you?"

"Yes."

I bit my tongue immediately afterwards. _Crap! Why did you say that?!_ I raised my head to look the guard in the eye. I shot him a defiant look. _So what? It's not like they can make me eat. And today's only the second day here. I'm not exactly malnourished._

He knelt on the floor next to me, and I pulled away.

"Don't come any closer," I warned him.

He shook his head. "Look, kid, I'm not going to hurt you. I hate that this happened to a girl your age. Really, I do. I'm trying to make this as easy as possible on you. So just listen, will you?" the guard said in exasperation.

I eyed him carefully. For the most part, he looked like an average Fire Nation soldier: ebony hair in a ponytail, pale skin just barely darkened by the sun, and those muddy yellow eyes... but his eyes still had an innocent glow to them, not beaten down by death and fighting. He was defenitely younger than the other soldiers I had seen from within my cell; probably only a few years my senior. Slowly, I nodded, not moving anymore.

"Okay. I'm listening."

He pushed the food tray towards me. "Do you really think that starving yourself is going to do any good? Maybe you'll be able to go home one day, who knows? But you definitely won't make it home if you kill yourself."

I leaned back against the cold wall of my cell. "I'm not going home. I'm going to the Fire Nation, and I won't ever see my family again. You're Fire Nation, you of all people should know that when an Earthbender enters the Fire Lord's palace, they don't come out again."

"You don't know that."

I sat back up again, seriously angry now. "Oh, I don't? Sorry, my mistake. I must have just made up all those stories! I know what I am talking about! I'll either die or be imprisoned for the rest of my natural life." He opened his mouth to speak, but I raised a hand. "Just leave me alone, okay? I don't want any pity from you."

Closing my eyes, I laid down on the lumpy cot that served as my bed.

"What's your name?" the young man asked.

I turned back to face him with a huff. "If I tell you my name, will you go away?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Misuki," I muttered.

He stood. "My name's Akan. Nice to meet you, Miss Misuki."

I rolled my eyes and faced the wall again. "Yeah. Sure thing."

Might as well sleep. I'm tired, and it's not like I have anything better to do in this spirit-forsaken place... I dozed off into a restless sleep of dreams and nightmares, intertwined and vicious. Just when I was happy, just when I was being pulled into splendor... The darkness would strike.

It was a pretty good metaphor for my life at the moment.

* * *

 ** _I ran down the road, boots pounding on the hard packed soil. I looked around, fear consuming me. I didn't know why I was afraid, but I was afraid. My frantic eyes landed on a small, weather worn cottage about a hundred yards away. Relief washed over me. It was my home. Home, where I would be safe. I sprinted towards it, ignoring the fact that the street, which was usually bustling with men on their way to or from the mines or women and children shopping, was completely empty._**

 ** _Panting, I rushed through the door, joy flooding me. My mother stood by one of the many shelves that lined the walls of our family's store, placing a stack of fabric on it. I hurried to hug her, my heart full to bursting with a mix of emotions. She turned to me, a smile and a laugh on her lips. Then, her face froze in terror, silent screams coming from her still open mouth. I spun around to see what had caused this sudden panic, and my heart stopped._**

 ** _Prince Zuko was standing in the doorway, Haru limp in his grip. I tried to go to him, but was knocked back with a blast of fire. He tossed Haru to the side, and I realized why the streets were empty._**

 ** _He had killed everyone._**

* * *

I woke up with a scream, sitting bolt upright. Gasping for breath, I hugged my knees to my chest. I could feel the sweat running down my back, and tears welling up. _No. Don't cry!_ I scolded myself. _Don't show your pain, don't show your weakness, don't show your fear. Don't let them see that it hurts._

My father had given me these words years before. I lived by them; they were our family's code, my code. I grimaced, clutching at my stomach as it growled angrily. I remembered Akan's words from earlier, and glanced at the tray of food still sitting on the floor by my bed.

"He's right," I whispered fiercely. "I promised them. I said I would come back one day. I can't do that if I'm dead. For spirits' sake, what is wrong with me?"

I picked up the bowl of now cold rice, and began to eat. Finishing, I sighed with satisfaction. Even in my poor little village, I had gotten more than this to eat, but hey, it was better than nothing, I figured.

"I'm an Earthbender. We don't give up that easily" I murmured, standing.

All the suicide plans that had been floating around my head since I came aboard were out the window. Smiling, I stretched my aching muscles, as I began daydreaming about all the ways I would love to hurt Prince Zuko.

* * *

 **A/N Okay, Zuko's reason for being a part of the raid made a lot more sense in my head. I don't know if it worked or if it feels forced, but there it is, nonetheless. Please review! I am a beginner author who is desperate for feedback, in case you hadn't noticed... Thanks for reading! -Nerdy J**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another update! This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I think it turned out pretty well. Enjoy!**

* * *

I sat on the floor, leaning against the wall as I waited. Right on time, Akan opened my cell door, and entered with a tray of food. Over the past two weeks, I had adjusted to the schedule on which everyone lived, and knew just when my companion would come.

"Hello, Misuki," he smiled. "Hungry?"

I sighed. "When... Am I not?"

Akan frowned and knelt beside me. "You okay? You're not looking too good."

I put as much venom in my glare as I could, but I couldn't find the heart to be angry or cold towards Akan, even if he was Fire Nation. His gentle personality reminded me just enough of Haru to make everything hurt.

"Of course I'm not okay. I..." Stopping for a moment to regain my breath, I curled into myself.

"Misuki? Misuki?"

I lifted my head again, composing myself a bit. Worry was written all over the young man's face. _Don't show your weakness._ Oh, I knew exactly what was wrong with me. I had heard too many stories about it not to. The effects had began on the first full day I had come aboard, and gotten worse since then. But he didn't need to know that.

"It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Akan narrowed golden, brown tinted eyes at me. "You are not fine, you are falling to pieces! I'm going to get the medic!"

I protested, but he was already long gone. Groaning, I hit my head against the wall behind me.

* * *

"Sir, there seems to be an issue with the Earthbender."

I turned to face the soldier who had spoken. I wasn't exactly surprised to hear that she was acting out. _"I'm more trouble than I'm worth. I think you will learn that very, very soon."_ Actually, I was more surprised that she hadn't been causing problems before now.

"What did she do?" I said sharply.

The soldier shifted slightly. "You misunderstand me, sir. The prisoner is ill. The medic is with her now."

 _She's... Sick?_ I cursed under my breath and headed to the prison hold. _More trouble than she's worth... She hasn't put up a fight at all._

* * *

I arrived in the cell shortly, and saw the Earthbender in an unsteady fighting stance, the medic trying to calm her down. "I... Don't need to calm down! I'm fine... Get back!" I shook my head. The small girl was in no condition to stand, much less fight.

"Stop it, you're making yourself worse," I said. Her head quickly turned to look at me, long braid whipping behind her. Eyes darting back and forth between me and the medic, she drew a shaky breath and collapsed.

I caught her before she hit the steel floor, marveling again at how light she was. _Like a baby turtleduck... Agh, focus!_ She, though unconscious, shied away from my touch, and I realized that her tan skin was burning with fever. My naturally heated presence probably wasn't helping any, so I laid her on the ground.

The medic motioned to one of the guards, who gently picked her up, cradling her in his arms. "Let's get her to the medical bay. I need to give her a thorough checkup before we know what has happened to her." He nodded, following the medic.

* * *

The soldier who had carried the girl to the medical bay stayed by her side as the ship's medic examined her. Anxiety was shining in his eyes when the man finally discovered what was causing the ailment. _Why does he care so much?_

The medic frowned grimly. "Prince Zuko, I must suggest that we dock at the next available opportunity." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why? What's wrong with her?" He shook his head. "Elemental separation. The girl has probably never gone a day in her life without connecting to her element, and now she's been withdrawn from it altogether. I've never seen a case so severe, though, even under those extreme circumstances."

I felt sick to my stomach. _Why didn't I think of that? Stupid!_ Causing elemental separation was a horrible thing to do, intentional or not. Some people could survive just fine when their element was withheld from them, but most strong benders experienced the effects of this sickness to some degree. _Of course a powerful Earthbender like her would have a severe case._

I tried to imagine being locked away without the sun, the source of Firebending, for two weeks straight. _Agni, what have I done?_ I nodded crisply. "We will dock when we next see land." Even if she was an Earthbender, she was human, and I couldn't possibly refuse to bring her ashore.

Besides that, Uncle wouldn't give me a choice in the matter anyways.

* * *

I awakened slowly, and felt breath coming in and out of my lungs with ease. For the first time since I had left home, I felt peaceful. Chi was flowing lazily through my body, no longer stunted or choked. I could have cried with relief when I sensed earth around me.

I curled my fingers around the dirt beneath me, sighing contentedly. I was feeling stronger by the minute, and I could stay here for hours, just soaking in my element's power. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to hope, to dream that maybe the ship had tossed me on land and left me behind. "She's waking up." _But I'm not that lucky._

I opened my eyes, and saw Akan's face above me. "Misuki? Are you alright?"

I smiled softly. "I... Am now." He sighed. "Thank the spirits. Do you think you can stand?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I feel better, though...thank you, Akan."

Closing my eyes, I just relished in the presence of earth all around me. I had the feeling that it wouldn't last long.

"How soon can we get her back on the ship?"

"Prince Zuko, this cannot be rushed. Again, she has been suffering a great deal more than most benders, and I can only help with the symptoms, not the source. She should be able to withstand the sickness in the future with a minimal amount of ailment now that her first episode has passed. However, we must allow her to recover fully before she can return to the ship."

I heard a growl that could only belong to the Prince, and I mentally smirked. _He's not as tough as he acts. If he was really that bad, he would just throw me back on the boat right now. Well, I mean, he's the Prince of the Fire Nation, so of course he_ _ **is**_ _that bad, but at least he's not... Totally evil? Agh, this is frustrating to think about!_

* * *

I continued to watch the soldier suspiciously. _Why does he seem so... familiar with her? He's supposed to be guarding her, not befriending her!_ For some reason, an odd pang went through my heart, when I realized something. _He knows her name. I don't even know the girl's name. But he does._

I shook my head in disgust at my own thoughts. _What, are you getting soft? You don't need to know a prisoner's name!_ "I'll need several more guards to be out here with her, then, if she is staying on land tonight. I am not leaving an Earthbender unguarded surrounded by her element," I half spoke to myself, half spoke to the man still kneeling beside the petite frame of the girl.

He stood and bowed quickly. "I will retrieve three other men, sir."

I looked down at the sleeping girl, who had curled up on her side, accidentally forming a hollow in the ground with her bending. Kneeling down beside her, I hesitantly laid the back of my hand on her forehead, remembering my mother doing this when I had a fever. Her face felt cool, instead of sweaty and hot like it was earlier. Pulling away, I stood, noticing the curious look my uncle was giving me.

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

Uncle Iroh smiled and shook his head. "Oh, nothing, Prince Zuko. Nothing at all."

* * *

When Zuko looked away, Iroh glanced between the Firebender and the sleeping Earthbender thoughtfully. _Interesting._

* * *

I woke up to see a dark sky, full of sparkling stars. _He... Let me stay all day?_ Four guards were sitting around a campfire nearby. Sitting up and looking around, I had no idea where we were. It seemed that we were on a rocky bar in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't big enough to be called an island.

One of the men from the fire spotted that I was awake, and walked over quickly. Somehow, I knew just who it was. I smiled. He may have been Fire Nation, but he may as well be an Air Nomad, he was such a softie.

"Akan? Is that you?" I called quietly.

I saw his face lit softly in the light of the moon, almost yellow eyes glowing. "Misuki? Thank the spirits you're alright!" he breathed. He knelt next to me, suddenly pulling me into a hug. I squeaked in surprise. People outside my family never touched me (unless fighting and sparring counted), much less hugged me. And yet there we were.

Oddly enough... I kind of liked it. I relaxed into his arms slightly. _This is different. But...I don't mind._ "I don't know what I would do without you, Akan. If I didn't have your friendly face, I would have given up already."

"No you wouldn't," he smiled, pulling back. "You're too strong for that."

* * *

Little did the happy pair know, a figure was watching from the deck of the ship, before turning and storming below deck.

* * *

 **A/N Hey ya'll! I am really pretty happy with this chapter. I had no plan for it at all, but the words just flowed. So, Akan and Misuki have formed a nice bond with each other, and apparently Zuko isn't too happy about that fact, though he hasn't the slightest clue why... Please review and let me know what you think so far! Anything you agree with? Don't agree with? Wish I would work on? The quality of this story rests on reviews. I have to get feedback, or I'll never learn. So please review! -Nerdy J**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N So, this chapter is a little short, but I really wanted to get in a confrontation between our two hot-headed teens before the main timeline started, so here we are. Hope you enjoy! -Nerdy J**_

 _What are you doing..._ I paused in my mental rant for a moment, before resuming vigorously. _What are you_ _ **doing?!**_ So many reasons why befriending Akan was wrong rushed through my mind, but one stood out above them all. _He's_ _ **Fire Nation**_ _for craps sake!_

 _But he's nice._

 _The Fire Nation does nothing but kill and destroy!_

 _Does Akan kill and destroy?_

 _No, but that doesn't change anything! You can't justify a friendship, if that's what this is, with a Fire Nation soldier!_

 _You can't justify hating him, either._

Generally annoyed with myself and my blasted reasoning, I turned over in my little hollow of earth and willed myself to sleep. It didn't take long, considering I couldn't be more in my element.

* * *

The next morning, I awoke as the sun rose, as was my habit. Dressing quickly, I exited the ship, determining to simply drag the girl aboard myself, whether the medic deemed her ready or not. _No, you won't,_ my inner voice mocked. _You know you won't. You'll bluster and roar and rage about it, but you won't leave until she has healed._

 _..._

 _Darn it._

I scowled, knowing my thoughts were true, and marched over to where the medic knelt by the Earthbender. Her light tan skin was a healthy shade, not red and feverish or pale and sickly. _She ought to be fine._ I tapped my foot impatiently while the man tested her breathing.

"Well?" I demanded. "Can we leave?"

She glared up at me. I met her glare with one of equal intensity. _Don't try me, Earthbender._ She didn't flinch, her unblinking green stare smoldering with the power of a Firebender. It nearly made me laugh. _If I didn't know better, I'd say she_ _ **was**_ _a Firebender rather than a filthy Earthbender._

"She's made a full recovery, Prince Zuko. She may still experience some effects of the sickness, as is natural for a powerful bender, but it will not reach the same heights, I can assure you. Now that the first episode has passed, she will survive just fine."

"Misuki," she snapped in annoyance.

I turned my glare back on her again. "What?"

The girl stood, crossing her arms. "My _name._ It's Misuki. I'm sick of this. All I hear is 'the girl' or 'the Earthbender' or 'the prisoner'. More often than that, it's just 'she' and 'her'. I have a name. It's Misuki."

I narrowed my eyes as I leaned down, very close to her face. _You'd better learn which one of us is the warden and which is the prisoner._ "Why would I care what your name is? You are nothing more than filth, and I will call you as such. I would learn some respect if I were you, peasant," I spat.

She narrowed her eyes back at me unflinchingly. "Well, if we are calling each other by true form, then I suppose your new name is arrogant brat, now isn't it? And for future reference, respect from me is something earned, not demanded." Her voice was cool, calm.

It drove me crazy.

I heated my palm with a small flame and held it in front of her face. _Oh, we'll see how calm you are when I melt your face off!_ Breathing deeply, I smiled darkly. "I think you have forgotten those rules from the first day," I said lowly. "Do you need to relearn them?"

She flinched, just barely, her eyes widening so slightly that I wouldn't have seen it had I not been mere inches from her face. I smirked. _So she is afraid._ "That's what I thought. Now, get back on the ship," I hissed with clenched teeth. The girl slowly nodded.

"Consider yourself lucky I'm not burning you here and now, little girl," I said, extinguishing the flame in my hand and straightening to my full height.

She struck a stance, and the ground trembled beneath my feet. "I am not a little girl. Try it, brat. You know you can't. It was pure luck that you beat me the first time."

 _She's bluffing. She's just trying to put on a brave face. You know she's scared of you._ Somehow, that didn't give me as much joy as I would have hoped. I didn't bother to take a stance. "Don't tempt me. But rest assured, if you talk out of turn again, I will take action!"

She scoffed. "I knew it. You won't fight me on land, where it's a fair fight! You'll only do anything when I'm away from my element!"

 _She's baiting you. Just like the Captain did. She's just looking for an excuse to fight. Ignore her._

I stood, staring stonily at her, waiting for her to do _something._ Either she would get on the ship or she would attack me. _If you attack me, you won't see land until we reach the Fire Nation._

Her green eyes narrowed again. "You're a coward."

* * *

As soon as I said it, I knew I had hit the jackpot. I was honestly surprised that smoke wasn't coming out of Zuko's ears. He started walking towards me, and, as much as I hate to admit it... I was terrified. It was obvious that I had crossed a line.

Even though I was scared to death on the inside, I kept a calm mask on the outside. This guy was clearly very good at reading people. He had seen my small, momentary lapse in control a few minutes before, and I was determined to not give myself away this time.

A blast of fire swept across my feet, causing me to leap into the air to avoid it. _There we are._ I had found his boundaries. Now I knew just how to push the young prince's buttons, and filed that information away for later. Smirking, I raised a large chunk of earth into the air with each hand. I threw one after the other at the teen, which he blocked with crossed fire whips. He shot a series of fireballs at me, and I ducked to the ground.

I slapped my hands on the earth below me, coating them in stone. Rising to my feet, I struck a neutral bow stance, raising my fists to frame my face. Although I was a small girl, hand-to-hand combat was actually a specialty of mine.

Prince Zuko stopped firing at me, and motioned with his hand. Two guards grabbed my forearms, locking them behind my back and lifting me off the ground. I kicked my legs wildly behind me, to no avail. _Oh, right... And that would be why I_ _ **don't**_ _do hand-to-hand combat._ The prince turned to walk to the ship. "Put her back in the prison hold. She's going to be in there for a long time."

"This isn't fair!" I yelled, struggling to get away and back to the fight. "If you had an ounce of honor, you would fight me like a man!"

He stopped, freezing in his tracks. The guards holding me sucked in their breath.

 _Somehow, I feel like I shouldn't have said that._


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N I know, I know. I seriously suck. Taking this long to write such a short chapter... I suck. I reallllllllllllllllly want to get to the main timeline of the series, but on the other hand, I don't want to rush into it, so here we are. Bleh, sorry again, but I did give you a lot of Zuko POV in this one!**_

* * *

 _"If you had an ounce of honor, you would fight me like a man!"_

Her words echoed horribly in my brain, making my head throb. _Don't mind her! She doesn't know what she's saying! Don't give her a reaction!_ a voice inside me cried. _She must be punished. She has to know that you are in control,_ a louder voice hissed.

I turned to face her once more, a stream of fire lashing in my hand. She boldly stuck her chin out, obstinate to the point of foolishness. _Is she crazy? Can't she process the situation, the danger she's in? Or...maybe she thinks I won't hurt her._

"What did you say?" I growled, lifting my open hand near my head. The fire whip followed, coiling in the air like a snake ready to strike. I knew what she said, but would she be stupid enough to say it again? Or would she be smart and go quietly?

"Oh, I'm sorry, your _highness_ ," she taunted, straining against the men holding her. "Didn't I make myself clear? Or couldn't you hear me over the deafening roar of your ego?" _Oh, you are lucky I'm trying to keep you alive, Earthbender._ I flicked my wrist and the length of flames rushed towards her. The Earthbender shut her eyes, turning her head away.

The fire stopped midair. _What the..._ I turned and saw Uncle Iroh, hand extended, a stern expression on his face as he dissipated the whip. I scowled.

"Uncle! What are you doing?" I demanded.

He shook his head disapprovingly. "Prince Zuko, you cannot strike a young lady who is being restrained! I will not allow it. I did not interfere when you brought her onto your ship, nor when you kept her in the brig like a common criminal, but this is where I draw the line. Misuki will not be treated harshly while I am here," he said.

I stared at him in disbelief. He had never acted like this before. Why was he defending the girl? _And why does he know her name?! Seriously, is everyone best friends with my prisoner?!_ The Earthbender, _Misuki,_ I reminded myself, scoffed at his speech.

"I don't need help from the _Dragon of the West_!" she snapped. "Yeah, I pieced that part of your family tree together, _General_ Iroh. Why don't you let him burn me? You can't protect me forever, you know. The second I set foot in the Fire Nation, I'm dead! May as well start getting used to the feel of fire!"

"Shut up!" I roared.

"Make me!"

"I would, but apparently that option is off the table!"

"Spirits, what is wrong with you? Why are you so angry?!"

"Me?! You started this! I was letting you return to the ship in peace, but you messed that up, didn't you?"

"You hate me so much? Kill me, flame demon! Do it!"

"I am not going to kill you! Get on the ship!"

"No!"

I pointed to the ship. "Throw her back in the cell, and no one is to speak to her!"

"Yeah, because I was so chatty before!" she yelled over her shoulder, while the men carried her back.

I breathed smoke out of my nostrils. _Why do I keep ending up yelling at her?! How does she get me so riled up?_

"I am sorry, Nephew, but I had to interfere."

I nearly snapped at him, but stopped myself.

"No. It's good you did. I let her get to me again. I have to learn how to deal with her, or I'll lose my mind before I get her to the Fire Nation. Let's get back on course. We're getting close to Southern waters, but we still have a ways to go."

* * *

I sat on the floor, knees pulled up to my chin, as I tried to figure out my own actions. _Why did I do that? He was acting halfway decent for once. Why did I go and pick a fight? He didn't even do anything! I mean, making him angry is amusing, to a point, but I'm playing with my own safety here. If it wasn't for the general, who knows what would have happened?_

My cell door clicked open. "Hey, hands where I can see them. In the corner, oh dangerous threat to the Fire Nation!"

I rolled my eyes. "Akan, you're going to get in trouble. You're not supposed to talk to me, didn't you hear?" He shut the door behind him, ebony ponytail swishing as he turned towards me. "I don't care. I wanted to see you, talk about that, uh, interesting start to the day," the soldier commented.

I laughed shortly. "An interesting... Spirits, are you mad? His royal highness has me at the top of his hit list. If it weren't for the fact that he's trying to suck up to the Fire Lord by bringing him a 'dangerous bender' such as myself, my corpse would be in the water already."

"He's not going to hurt you. Between me and General Iroh, the Prince can't lay a hand on you," Akan proclaimed confidently. I smiled despite myself, patting the spot on the floor beside me. He sat, leaning his head on the wall behind us. "Nice place you have here."

I punched him lightly in the arm. "Shut up. Besides, Akan, as much as I hate to admit it, Zuko is a force to be reckoned with, and you're not even a Firebender." Akan sat up sharply. "How did you... I never told you that!"

"When you hugged me last night, you didn't radiate heat. Firebenders are always warm. But I knew before then that you weren't a bender, of course. I can't feel chi coming off of you," I explained calmly.

"You can... Tell if someone's a bender? Just like that?" Akan whispered, awestruck. _So much like Haru..._ "Well, yeah. Don't ask how. I can just... Feel energy. Always been able to feel it, ever since I was little."

"Wow."

I thought for a moment before resting my head on his shoulder. "Thanks for coming. I needed the company. Just don't get caught in here, okay? I really don't want you getting in trouble on my account."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

* * *

I stormed below deck. _Fine. I can't hurt her. I don't care. She's going to learn who runs this ship, whether she likes it or not._ Coming closer to the prison hold, I heard voices. _Who is talking to her?! Does no one on this ship listen to me?!_

"What's your family like?"

"Oh, uh, that's..."

"It's fine. I shouldn't have asked something so personal."

"I'm sorry, Akan. It's just... I might not ever see them again. My past is the only thing I have that's still my own. I can't just give it away. But I can tell you one thing."

"What?"

"You... You're so much like my brother. It's probably why I trusted you so easily. You both have the same sweet nature and good hearts." I heard a quiet laugh. "I never thought I would say that to a Fire Nation soldier."

 _That's it._ I turned the corner to the prison hold and swung open the door to her cell, lighting a flame in the palm of my hand.

The soldier sitting beside the girl scrambled quickly to his feet. _The same soldier who carried her to the medical bay. The same soldier who stayed with her while the doctor checked to see what was wrong. The same soldier who was hugging her last night when she woke up._

"Prince Zuko, sir, I..."

The flame in my hand grew larger. "You disobeyed a direct order!" I hissed.

"Yes, sir, I apologize..."

I cut him off again. "I forbade any contact with the prisoner, but you're down here talking to her! I will not allow mutiny on my ship."

The Earthbender stood in front of the dark haired man. "Leave him alone! I was lonely, I wanted someone to talk to. It's not his fault, okay? Back off!"

I grabbed her by the collar. "You are very lucky that my uncle has taken such a liking to you. He saved your skin back on that island. However, if you get in my way, you will be punished, and there's nothing he can do to stop that, because I _will_ have order on my ship! Do I make myself clear?"

Her dark green eyes blazed with that fire again. "Crystal. I don't have a problem with that. If you're so angry with Akan, take it out on me, I don't care. But do _not_ hurt him." I pushed her to the ground.

"I wasn't planning on hurting him, insolent peasant! Now shut up!"

Surprisingly, she stayed quiet after that. I turned back to the soldier, who stood rigidly at attention.

"Leave, return to the upper levels. You will no longer be guarding the prisoner. I trust that I will not catch you down here again. You are dismissed." I forced myself to stay calm. _Breathe in, breathe out. Control your temper._

I waited until he left, before returning my attention to the girl sitting quietly on the ground. She looked up at me blankly. "Congrats, your _highness._ Are you satisfied now? Are you happy? Good. I'm so glad that my loneliness has brought you such joy." She turned her head away from me.

 _Of all the times to get a conscience..._

"Perhaps, if you behave yourself, with no more _outbursts_ , I will improve your conditions," I said cooly. I didn't get much of a reaction, but I didn't expect to. She was extremely adept at hiding every emotion... Except her anger. That was nearly always portrayed clearly on her face. I paused for a moment, and then left, shutting the door firmly behind me.

 _How does this girl do this? First she triggers my anger, now... Empathy? Agni, I_ _ **am**_ _going soft!_

* * *

 _ **A/N Once more, sooooooo sorry. I'll make sure I update a bit quicker in the future. Did I mention how much I suck? Love you guys! Please review! Getting real close to canon now, can't wait! -Nerdy J**_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Happy Father's Day, y'all! Enjoy this update! I have to say, I enjoyed writing Iroh so flipflapping much in this chapter. Oh, Uncle... -Nerdy J**

* * *

I laid on my side, staring at the wall. I wasn't really angry. I was just... Sad. Hurt. Why was he so frickin _mean?_ What was the harm in me having one friend? One person to talk to? _He can't break me physically, thanks to his uncle. Maybe this is his way of finally breaking me mentally. As if he hasn't already..._

 _No. I'm not broken. A little chipped, but broken? No._

I sat up on the cot, releasing my hair from the messy braid it was currently in, running my fingers through the greasy, tangled locks with a sigh. _If nothing else, maybe I can get a shower if I behave a bit. I need to bathe. Desperately._

I picked through the knots as best I could with my bare hands, and rebraided the thick strands, securing the braid with a hairband. _Okay. I can do this. I can...compromise. Compromising is_ _ **not**_ _the same thing as giving in. It's not!_

Standing, I walked to the door of my cell, leaning forward into the bars it consisted of. Two soldiers stood at their posts. Neither of them were Akan, I reminded myself sadly. "Excuse me? Could one of you get..." _What the heck do I call him?_ "Er, your boss."

A few minutes passed, and Zuko entered the prison hold. He scowled at me, yellow eyes nearly glowing like a cat's. "What do you want?" he snapped. _Temper. Don't push back. To get a little, you've got to give a... Lot._

"I'm sorry for losing my head. I'll try to settle down. Is there any way I could get a shower?" I spoke softly, rather than through gritted teeth as I wanted to.

His smug face was almost too much for my stomach. It was just how he looked when I first agreed to come peacefully with him... _Brat._

"If, after a few days, you've proven that you can act like a _civilized_ person, I will consider it." _Ooh, I want to slap you upside your head so hard it'll spin... Temper._ I nodded silently, casting my traitorous, emotion revealing eyes to the floor, boring holes in the steel with my gaze.

"Hm."

His steps left the hold, and I growled under my breath. _How can one person be that much of an egomaniacal condescending jerk?! '...proven you can act like a_ _ **civilized**_ _person...' Ugh! Do I hate anyone more than I hate him right now?!_

* * *

It couldn't have been more obvious that she was trying to play the part of a docile prisoner. She was failing; just the way she stood showed that she had a lot of fighting spirit left. Call me sadistic, but I had found her attempts at being submissive to be very amusing.

Over the next few days, she sat silently in her cell, like a model prisoner. I left her be, tempting as it was to mess with the suddenly _very_ patient girl. On one occasion, I nearly did go talk to her, just to see how much verbal abuse she would take before snapping. Then I noted that doing so _would_ in fact make me a sadist.

Uncle Iroh protested that it couldn't hurt to give her a cabin, and it might, in fact, calm her down considerably.

"No."

"Prince Zuko, there is no reason to keep Misuki in a cell like that. She isn't a danger to anyone out here on the ocean."

I snorted and ran a finger down the map in front of me. "Spoken like someone who hasn't had their _nose half broken by a crazy Earthbender._ "

Turning to the helmsman, I held up the scroll. "How much longer will it take to reach the South Pole?"

"Within the week, sir. We'll be entering Southern waters shortly."

I nodded, letting my thoughts drift. A nervous excitement gnawed at my stomach. I had spent the years of my banishment, up til now, searching the four Air temples and scouring the coastline for any hint of the Avatar. I hadn't found a trace of an Airbender, so now we turned to the Southern Water Tribe to hunt for a sign of a Waterbending Avatar. True, the all the Southern Waterbenders had all been captured in raids years ago... but I had to try. There was a chance, a slim chance but a chance all the same, that I might be able to find my redemption here.

 _My search... What if... What if it's almost over?_

* * *

I didn't bother to look up at the sound of footsteps. "Hello, Iroh," I grumbled. At least with him, I didn't have to pretend to be some sort of broken little waif. He was too intelligent to fall for it. Besides, if anyone was on my side, he was.

The cell door opened with a slight squeal. "Come with me."

Okay, _now_ I looked up. "Huh?" I said intelligently.

Iroh nodded towards the exit. "Come with me, Misuki. We are approaching the South Pole, temperatures are dropping, and the prison hold is not a very warm place."

I smiled and stood up. _I can't believe that whole 'submissive prisoner' act worked on his royal snobbiness!_

"Thank you, Iroh."

* * *

Iroh smiled back at the girl, who was about his own height. "You are very welcome." _Zuko is not going to be happy..._

* * *

Iroh showed me where the showers were, and promised to watch the door. It was a ship of all men, after all. The moment the hot water hit my filth covered skin, I sighed. _Heaven. Pure heaven._ There was a huge difference between being surrounded by earth and dirt and just being _gross._

And _soap._ There was _soap_ , blessed by the spirits themselves. It took me a full twenty minutes just to work through the grease and knots built up in my hair, and goodness knows how long I just stood beneath the water. It must have been a long time, though, because I didn't even register the heat anymore.

 _Spirits bless that old man until the day he dies._

* * *

I walked down the corridor, drenched in sweat from my sparring session. _What's Uncle up to, anyway? He almost never leaves me to train on my own._ I could answer that question later. Currently, my only goal was to get to the blasted showers.

Turning the corner, I stopped. Uncle was standing very casually outside the door to the showers. He plastered a huge grin on his face when he saw me.

"Prince Zuko! Er, what are you doing here?" he chimed. I could practically see sweat running down his brow. _What are you hiding, old man?_

"I'm taking a shower," I said slowly, staring my uncle down. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Hahaha! Nothing, nephew, nothing at all! Let's just go have something to eat, shall we? Maybe some tea? Off we go, then!" Uncle Iroh grasped me by the arm and began tugging me back the way I'd came.

I pulled my arm out of his grip. "No, I'm not hungry. I'm going to take a shower." Raising my eyebrow at him, I moved slowly towards the door. "Unless... There's some reason I _shouldn't_ go in there..." _What are you up to?_

His horrified face would have been funny if I wasn't so suspicious.

* * *

I slipped a large red shirt over my head, deciding to not wonder whose it was and to ignore the wrongness of the color. I wasn't about to complain, after all, I couldn't very well wear my clothes right now, considering the battleworn state they were in. I had washed all of my clothing after I had finished scrubbing myself, but they needed serious repair before they could be worn decently.

The shirt was long and baggy enough on my small frame that it served as a dress of sorts, once I had fastened my belt around my waist. Choosing to leave my thick hair down to dry, I opened the door leading to the hallway...

And a certain Fire Nation Prince was waiting just outside the door.

He did not look pleased.

* * *

 **A/N Iroh is the best, agreed? I loved writing his attempts at covering. :3 Too fun. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

_He did not._

I shot my uncle a furious look, arms crossed. "I shouldn't have to ask this, but _why is the prisoner out of her cell?!_ " I hissed.

He laughed nervously. "Ah, that is a funny story, Prince Zuko. Really, you'll be very amused."

I turned my gaze on the small girl still standing in the doorway, one eyebrow raised at me.

"Uh, Iroh? I kind of assumed, you know, when I was offered a shower and a cabin, that a _certain someone_ knew about it?" she said slowly.

I felt my inner flame rise up even more in the pit of my stomach. "What?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "Of course. Of course, of course, of course. I should have known that _you_ wouldn't sign off on something like that." The Earthbender blew her bangs from her eyes with an annoyed huff. "Am I right to guess that it's a no on having a real bed?"

I just looked at her.

"And that would answer that. Geez, I feel dumb... Why would you make things easier on me?" Misuki muttered. I stared at her some more. _She looks different. Why does she look different?_ She shifted uncomfortably under my unblinking eyes. "Ah, so I'll just be... Going back to the cell, now? Right?" she said, sounding a bit uncertain.

 _Why does she look different?!_ She narrowed her eyes back at me. "Okay, stop staring at me like a creep, it's getting weird. I'm serious."

 _It's the hair,_ I realized. Instead of having it in a long braid like usual, it was down in waves. _Why am I even..._

I glared at the ceiling, gathering my thoughts together, and then looked back at her again. "Before long, I will have the Avatar in my custody. I'm going to need that cell." _Yeah. The Avatar._

Her green eyes grew wide.

* * *

 _Darn it, don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh... Screw it._

"Pft... Hahaha!"

Zuko glared down at me. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

I composed myself as best as I could, even though I was pretty sure I was still grinning despite myself. "Ahem. Nothing. Nothing at all." _Spirits, don't think about it. You'll start laughing again!_ He grabbed my wrists, startling me. "What?" he growled.

I shook my head. "It's just... You can't be serious, can you?" I smirked.

His golden eyes were a mixture of anger and confusion. "Explain yourself."

I stepped back, trying to pull my hands from his grip. "Okay, okay, just stop manhandling me, would you?" He released me, surprisingly enough, and I felt my lips twitch thinking about what he had said. "It's just so... I can't even... The Prince of the Fire Nation is searching for a fairy tale?"

* * *

Iroh face palmed. _And she was so close to getting out of that prison hold._

* * *

I breathed in slowly through my teeth, struggling against the urge to breathe fire in her face. _She... No. She didn't just... But she did._ She stared back at me cautiously. I knew that if I was around her for one more minute, I was going to snap and burn her, and Uncle would be none too pleased.

I turned away. _Looks like I'm doing another training session._ "Just... Put her somewhere! Cell, cabin, I don't care, but she is not going to wander the ship!" I snapped, storming back up on deck.

 _I pity whoever I'm about to spar._

* * *

I blinked as he walked away. _He can't be serious._ I turned to Iroh for confirmation. He shrugged, a relieved smile on his face. "Follow me, then."

I was still in slight disbelief that I hadn't been burnt on the spot, but decided to not question it further than it needed to be. The result was good, so I could worry over motive later. Iroh led me to a small cabin just down the corridor, and I immediately fell onto the bed. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but compared to what I had been sleeping on for the past...

I frowned and sat back up. _How long...?_

Iroh stood in the doorway, smiling at my reaction to the room.

"Iroh, how long have I been on the ship?"

He looked at the ceiling for a moment, hands clasped together within the long sleeves of his robes. "I suppose it is nearing three weeks since the start of your imprisonment."

I shook my head and fell backwards onto the mattress again. "Three weeks... Feels like it's been years already." Lifting my head, I threw my heavy hair over the edge of the bed and began scraping it into a ponytail. "Well, I've made it this long. Hey, Iroh, was he serious? What he said about the Avatar?"

Silence.

Tying off the hairband, I sat up once more. _No way._

"You're kidding," I laughed. "The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation is after a myth, a legend? I thought he was smarter than that."

Iroh frowned sadly. "Perhaps it would be for the best if you did not mention the Avatar. It is a sensitive subject. I realize that you do not like my nephew, nor do I expect you to, but leave the subject be."

I raised an eyebrow. "For you, I will let it rest."

He smiled at me. "Thank you, Misuki. I must go now and make sure my nephew doesn't kill any of the crew in his rage. I'm his teacher, after all. I am sorry, I wish I didn't have to lock your door, but..."

"But you would be a fool if you didn't," I interrupted. "You are a smart man. You know very well I can't be trusted with an unlocked door. I'm not offended in the least. Thank you for improving things for me this much."

Iroh nodded and shut the cabin door behind him.

I stretched out on the bed, arms above my head, and began the long task of braiding my hair.

* * *

I fired off a series of kicks, one after another. I forced myself to concentrate on the names of them, instead of the girl who had caused this practice session in the first place. _Front kick. Spinning rear kick. Wheel kick. Axe kick. Inward crescent kick._

With a final flying side kick, I finished my set. Breathing heavily, I exhaled smoke. _I almost wonder if she knows what she's doing when she say things like that._

"Prince Zuko, you should cool down. You've practiced enough for today. Do not overexert yourself," my uncle advised. I glared at him.

"I told you I didn't want to give her a room. She's a prisoner. She needs to learn that, Uncle."

"Misuki is barely fifteen years old," he countered. "If you are really planning on delivering her to the tender mercies of your father, which I still strongly advise against, we may at least give her some comfort while she has the chance."

 _Fifteen?_

"She's fifteen?" I mused. "By her size, I would have guessed twelve, of course, but considering her fighting skills, I would have guessed at least sixteen..." Uncle Iroh gave me an odd look, and I realized that I had unwittingly complimented the girl.

Clearing my throat, I looked back over the iceberg filled water. "We're getting near to the South Pole."

* * *

Iroh looked at his nephew with a twinkle in his eye. _Very,_ _ **very**_ _interesting..._

* * *

 _ **A/N Next up, the main timeline of the series begins! Yay, canon! Updates should come faster now, since I will have a guideline. Thank you so much to my reviewers and everyone who followed or favorited this story! You guys are my motivation. =D Lots of love! -Nerdy J**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N CANON! AT LAST! I will be sticking to the original story and dialogue throughout but hopefully you won't be bored by that. Here's an update for my wonderfully patient readers! I gave you another POV in here, just because ya'll are awesome. ;-) Love ya! Enjoy!**_

* * *

I hummed to myself as I looked around the cabin. There wasn't much to see. Steel walls, steel floors. The blanket on the small bed was red (why was I not surprised?) and a similarly colored banner with the Fire Nation emblem emblazoned in black hung on the walls.

I had been in here since yesterday, and I had to admit, it was a huge improvement over the prison hold. I was still insanely bored, but I was bored in a place that wasn't morbidly depressing.

 _I really wish I could talk to Akan._

Shaking my head, I put that out of my mind. _What are you doing, getting attached to a Fire Nation soldier? Eventually, you're going to be_ _ **in**_ _the Fire Nation, and I don't think the Fire Lord allows his prisoners visiting hours._

I put one foot high above my head, bracing it against the wall as I stretched my leg. _Just... Don't think about him._ A sharp, piercing pain stabbed through my head, and I cried out, falling backwards to the ground. It came again, and I fought the blackness that was encroaching on my vision. Panting, I struggled to stay conscious.

I failed.

* * *

 _An intense light. A white blue light. It's like a beacon, shooting high into the frozen air. A figure stands on the edge of a fragmented piece of ice, looking frighteningly powerful. The tattoos wrapping around his body as well as his eyes emit an eerie glow similar to the one lighting up the South Pole sky._

* * *

I watched the Southern sky light up with a bright tower of light. My breath caught in my throat. _This is it. This_ _ **has**_ _to be it. What else could it be?_

"Finally," I muttered.

Turning to my uncle, I was annoyed to see him calmly playing his card game.

"Uncle! Do you realize what this means?" I shouted.

He looked down at his card, then up at me. "I won't get to finish my game?"

I glared at him, returning my attention back to the light. "It means my search is about to come to an end." _I'm going home. Finally,_ _ **finally,**_ _I'm going home!_

I heard Uncle sigh behind me. Clearly, he wasn't convinced. I faced him once more gesturing towards the light that was fading away.

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source! It has to be him!" I exclaimed. _What doesn't he understand?_

Uncle Iroh continued to place cards.

"Or it is just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing."

Sure, I had sent us on a few wild turtleduck chases, but this was the real thing! Why couldn't he see that?

He motioned to the seat across from him. "Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a calming cup of jasmine tea?"

I could practically feel a vein popping out of my forehead. "I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman, set a course for the light!"

 _This is it. This_ _ **is**_ _it. I'm going home. That's all there is to it._

* * *

Akan walked down the corridor quickly, carrying a tray. He had requested to be the one to bring Misuki her meal, having not seen her in nearly a week. _What if this time is for real? What if he has really found the Avatar? We'll be going home. This... Isn't good. I have to get her off the ship as soon as possible. I can't let her die or live the rest of her life broken in some prison._

Rapping on the door, he shifted nervously. Would she even want to see him? He could have tried to see her sooner, even if it meant disobeying orders, but he didn't. Would she be upset by that? No one answered. Knocking again, he called to her through the steel.

"Misuki?"

Finally he decided to just open the door. _She's probably asleep..._

Turning the lock to open the door, he slipped into the room. "Hey, Misuki? It's me, I brought your..."

Akan froze, and dropped the tray, rice spilling from its bowl. Misuki laid sprawled out on the cold floor, limbs twisted into uncomfortable positions, breathing labored. He ran across the small cabin in a matter of seconds, lifting her into his arms.

"No, no no. Misuki? Wake up. Wake up, Misuki!" Akan shook her, but she didn't stir. Standing back up, he dashed out the door, making a beeline for the medical bay.

 _She's got to be okay. She's just got to._

* * *

"Prince Zuko?"

I paused in my search, and turned to the soldier who had spoken.

"What?" I demanded. "Has the Avatar been spotted?"

He cleared his throat nervously. "Ah, no, sir. Misuki was found unconscious in her cabin. The medic is looking her over now."

I scoffed at that. "I don't have time to go running down there every time she passes out! If it's life-threatening, then send someone to inform me. I don't need an update on everything that happens with her."

He bowed quickly and returned below deck. Uncle Iroh gave me a reprimanding look. _Why do I feel like I'm about to get a lecture?_

"Prince Zuko, you must go and check on her," he said sternly. _For once, I wish I was wrong..._

"Why should I? It's not my fault she's weak. There's no reason for me to get involved; it's not my problem." I returned to staring out over the icy waters, ignoring the imaginary guilt that nipped at my conscience.

Uncle shook his head at me. "You are better than that. But if you will not see to her well-being, I will."

* * *

 _The lights fade out, and the figure is revealed to be a small boy, no more than eleven or twelve. He topples forward, and a girl catches him. Her light brown skin and blue parka make it clear that she is a native of the Water Tribe. The boy opens his eyes and whispers something to her. Soon, he is on his feet._

* * *

I woke up gasping for air. I felt as though I had been underwater for too long and was just now breaking the surface. _What... That was such a weird dream... Why did I pass out?_ Everything was hazy for a brief moment, and when it returned to normal, I saw Akan's worried face peering over me.

"Akan?" I coughed, sitting up. "What... What happened?"

He shook his head. "No clue. I found you lying unconscious on the floor. Are you okay? Do you remember what happened?"

I gave him a dirty look. "Yes, Akan, I remember exactly what happened. I just asked you what happened for fun."

He grinned. "Okay, okay. If you can be sarcastic, you must be feeling fine." His face sobered. "I was really worried."

I felt my face grow hot for some reason. "You... You were?" _Ugh, I hope my face isn't actually red!_

He look at me incredulously. "Of course I was! Misuki, didn't you hear me? I went into your cabin and found you _lying unconscious on the floor!_ What sort of jerk wouldn't be worried? You're my friend!"

I smiled. _Friends... You know what, I think I can live with that._

"Well, thanks. I'd better get back to my cabin before Prince Charming throws a fit." I rolled my eyes. "Walk with me?"

Akan firmly pushed me back down on the bed. "Nope. You are waiting here until the medic gives you the all clear. Be right back, he said to tell him if your status changed."

I glared at him, but stayed there while he went to find the ship's doctor.

The door opened, and I sat up again. _Let's get this over with...?_ To my surprise, it wasn't Akan with the doctor. Iroh was standing there, concern etched in his face.

"Are you alright, my dear?"

He hurried over to my bedside. I smiled. _It's nice to have people care whether I live or die. That's not what I expected when I came aboard this ship._

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Iroh."

He returned my smile. "Good, good. I brought you some tea, as well as your meal. You never did get a chance to eat."

I laughed. "Yeah, well, I was a bit busy, I guess. If that's what you can call passing out."

He poured the tea, laughing that hearty belly laugh he has. "I believe that is the first time I have really heard you laugh, Misuki."

I breathed in deeply, and then sighed happily. "Jasmine. My favorite. I haven't had anything to laugh at, now have I?"

Iroh gave me a pleased look. "Indeed, it is jasmine. I prefer ginseng, myself, but jasmine runs a close second."

I sipped the hot tea and broke my bread in half. "You and Akan have been so kind to me while I've been on this ship, Iroh. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it."

His smile turned a bit sad. "I am sorry you are here in the first place. I have tried to convince my nephew to release you when we next return to the Earth Kingdom, but he refuses. However, I am not sorry that I met you, Misuki. You are a lovely girl."

I sighed. "Thank you. I don't have much hope of that ever happening. I try not to think about what's going to happen, but..."

The door opened again, and the medic hurried over to me, beginning a series of tests. I finished the sentence in my head. _But I know it won't be good._

* * *

I continued to stand vigil over the water. _Where are you?_ Footsteps approached behind me.

"I'm going to bed now," Uncle proclaimed, yawning. "Yep, a man needs his rest."

I nearly rolled my eyes. _Very subtle, Uncle Iroh._

He tried a different approach. "Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you are right, and Avatar is still alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed."

I scowled. "Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mind does. This coward's hundred years of hiding are over."

There was silence for a moment. The only sound in my ears was the wind washing over the waves.

"Misuki is fine. Just in case you were wondering."

I turned around and looked at him in disbelief. "Do you really think I care whether or not the girl is alright? As long as she's not dead, I couldn't care less whether she's well or not!" _Why would I care?_

Uncle Iroh shook his head at me. "Even you don't believe that. If you didn't care, you would not have stopped when she was ill. You shouldn't be ashamed of caring, Prince Zuko. All that means is that you are human."

With that, he retired for the night. I scowled and returned to scanning the Southern sea. _Caring about an Earthbender prisoner... What is he babbling about? I..._

Glaring at the closest iceberg, I hit the railing with my fist. _Fine! Maybe I care! So what?!_

* * *

 _ **A/N Oh my word it took me forever to start this chapter (I choose to blame the large amounts of Draco Malfoy fanfiction on this site ;-)) but once I started I couldn't stop til it was done. Sorry for being a lazy bum and splitting this episode into two chapters. Love you guys! A quick shout-out to my lovely reviewers and everyone who added this story to their alerts or favorites! Just knowing that a few people are enjoying this story is enough for me. -Nerdy J**_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, but guess what, this is my longest chapter yet! I know, I really need to work on making the chapters even, but whatever. If it comes to me, it goes in the chapter. When I finish Book 1 maybe I'll go through and fix all of it, but ain't nobody got time for that! Anyways, this chapter is almost completely in Misuki's POV because I seriously don't want to spend my time copying down transcripts, which is what I would be doing if I showed what Zuko was up to. Do you want me to rehash the show? Let me know! Gah, long author's note! -Nerdy J**

* * *

 **I** winced slightly as I got out of bed the next morning. Apparently, falling backwards on an unforgiving steel floor isn't very fun. Who knew? Thankfully, I hadn't hit my head, but my back was most definitely feeling the after effects.

I lightly touched my head, unable to stop thinking about my weird dream. It hadn't _felt_ like a dream. I didn't know how exactly it was different. It just... _was._ Everything was so sharp, so clear, as though I were really there...

Shaking my head, I brushed off the ridiculous thought. _Now you're looking for unnecessary drama where there's none to be had. What is_ _ **wrong**_ _with you? Passing out from a headache? Trying to turn it into some epic story? That's not you! Just forget it ever happened._

There was a sharp knock on my door, and a familiar voice. "Misuki? Are you awake?" I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts and ran a hand over my bed mussed braid.

"Yeah, Akan. Come on in."

He stepped in quickly, and I was a bit put off. Normally his movements were smooth and relaxed, and he just _glided_. Now his steps were a pointed staccato, and there was a frantic gleam in his muddy gold eyes.

"Misuki," he said urgently. "Listen to me. The next port we dock at, I'm getting you off this ship."

I felt my eyes bug out against my will. "You're... Akan, what are you saying? Calm down."

He shut the door firmly behind him, and began pacing anxiously around the small cabin, while I just sat down on my bed in shock.

"Misuki, it's... It's bad. The Avatar has been _spotted,_ Misuki. Do you realize what that means? Prince Zuko will capture him, and the second he does, this ship is heading back to the Fire Nation. _You_ are heading back to the Fire Nation!"

I felt like the walls were closing in on me. _No. No, that can't be right._

"No, wait. I don't understand. The Avatar... He's been gone for a century. He doesn't exist!" I exclaimed, shaking my head, as though denying it would alter this insane reality that was suddenly my life. Akan grabbed my shoulders, and I flinched from the intense _fear_ in his eyes.

"That's what I thought too. It's what we all thought. But he's alive, and once Prince Zuko has him in his custody, that's it. It's over. I am _not_ letting you go to that place." His hands tightened on my shoulders, making me wince inwardly.

I was stunned into silence, unable to break my gaze away from his burning eyes. _What is he... Why is he..._

"Akan... We're friends, but... I don't get it. Why would you risk so much for me? Someone you've known for less than a month? I trust you, but it doesn't add up. Why?"

I searched his eyes, as something new flashed through them. It looked almost like... Guilt? I pulled back out of his grip, feeling myself tense. He returned to pacing. _What is he doing?_

"I can't explain my reasons to you, Misuki. I want to, believe me, I want to. I care about you, and I want to make you understand, but I can't. You just have to trust that I do want to help you,and that I'm doing it for the right reasons." He turned to me, looking just plain _desperate._

I wanted to trust him on this. I did. This guard had been nothing but kind to me since I had been here. But I wasn't the type to trust easily or blindly. How could I risk this being a trap, when I had only known him for a few short weeks?

 _But if we are going to the Fire Nation, my fate is sealed. This could very well be my only chance._

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to herd everything back into neat little boxes in my mind where I could sort through it all.

"Akan. You need to go. I have to think; to process all this."

Silence.

"Alright. I'll come tell you if anything happens, or changes."

I could hear the door open, then shut with an awful finality that shook me deeply.

 _Okay. If Akan is telling the truth, then Zuko is about to capture the Avatar. He will then waste no time in delivering him, and by extension, me, to the Fire Lord. Once we reach the Fire Nation, I am doomed._

A thought struck me and I slammed my head into my hands as it all sank in.

 _Oh, spirits. Zuko... Is about to..._

I lept up from the bed, running to the door and frantically pounding on it, desperate for a way to get out of this suddenly _very_ confining room. _No, no no no no..._

"Spirits!" I cursed under my breath.

 _I've been worrying about myself like the selfish brat I am, when Zuko is about to imprison_ _ **the world's only chance of survival.**_ _I am_ _ **not**_ _going to let that happen! Screw the consequences! I can't afford to be selfish anymore. No one can._

* * *

I stood perfectly still, arms outstretched, as servants placed my armor on me. _This is it. Everything you've worked for since you were banished has led up to this. You_ _ **will**_ _capture the Avatar. Failure is not an option._

When the helmet was settled on my head, I was ready. I walked down the corridor, preparing to disembark, when I heard loud clanging noises coming from down the hall. Stepping quickly, I realized the sounds were coming from the cabin the prisoner was being kept in.

 _Why is she banging on the door?!_

I kicked the steel door (thank Agni for solid boots) and the noises abruptly stopped.

"Be quiet in there!" I shouted.

There was a brief silence, and I thought for one blessed second that maybe the annoying Earth peasant had _listened_ to me. I was sorely mistaken.

"Make me!"

I growled in frustration, but continued down the hall with just one more swift kick to the door. I could deal with _her_ later, once I had the Avatar in my custody. And I was going to enjoy every second of telling her that we were en route to the Fire Nation. Every expression of fear and horror in her green eyes...

 _Darn it all, I_ _ **am**_ _a sadist!_

* * *

I angrily side kicked the door, hissing when my foot turned uncomfortably. I had thought for sure that I could provoke him into opening it!

 _And then what?_ My mind challenged. _You haven't got any bending on this ship, in case you've forgotten._

 _I would have thought of something._

 _No, you wouldn't have. Once you get out,_ _ **if**_ _you get out, how exactly are you planning on helping the Avatar? You are just a tiny little girl who these men can knock over one handed, and you don't even have your bending. If the Avatar, the master of all four elements can't fight them off, what hope do you have?_

"I don't know!" I yelled aloud, clapping my hands over my ears. "But I can't just sit here and do nothing! I can't just sit here and be weak!"

 _..._

 _Aren't you, though?_

"No, I'm not! Shut up!"

I stopped yelling, upon realizing that I just told myself to shut up. Groaning, I slipped to the ground, leaning heavily against the door.

"I am seriously losing it. Is this what imprisonment does to people? Makes them go crazy?" I muttered, holding my head in my hands. "Maybe I am weak. I couldn't hold it together for a few weeks? What is wrong with me? How could I..."

I stopped, shaking my head. _Don't show your weakness._

"No. I am _not_ weak!"

I rose to my feet again, pounding the door with elbows and kicks, despite the vicious little voice in my head telling me it was hopeless, that there was no way I could get through a solid steel door.

"Don't... Show... Your... Weakness..." I gritted out between strikes.

* * *

" _You're_ the Airbender? _You're_ the Avatar?" I said incredulously. _You've got to be kidding me._

The small boy and I began to circle each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. _This has to be some kind of joke,_ I thought, looking the boy over. He was small, skinny... And he couldn't be more than eleven or twelve years old!

"I've spent years preparing for this encounter," I snarled. "Preparing, meditating... You're just a child!"

The boy paused, tilting his head as though confused. "Well, you're just a teenager."

 _This little... He has the nerve to... That's it._

* * *

I laid down on the bed panting. _There's no way I can break down a solid steel door with my bare hands. I don't think that's even humanly_ _ **possible!**_

"Akan said he would come tell me if anything happened or changed," I muttered. "So I know at least that the Avatar probably hasn't been captured yet. All I can do is keep trying..."

Standing up again, I wiped the sweat off my forehead and neck and looked around the room for something, _anything_ I could use to open the stubborn door. I grinned. _Maybe I can't take down a steel door, but breaking up a steel_ _ **bedframe**_ _shouldn't be too hard._

Pulling the mattress off, I studied the frame carefully, trying to find the right angle. If I didn't, I could very well break my foot. Breathing deeply, I brought my foot around in a high arc, before dropping my heel quickly on the bolt connecting the frame to the leg.

The leg snapped off cleanly, and I grabbed it up, reveling in my small moment of triumph. Backing up to the far wall, I held it tightly under my arm like a battering ram. _Okay. You've got this. It's got to do more than your feet, anyway._

Rushing forward with a cry, I prepared to either bounce off the door harmlessly, run myself into the door painfully, or, maybe, just maybe, send the door soaring out into the hall.

What I didn't expect was for the door to open. Pulling back in surprise, I somehow managed to keep from running the person over, throwing the steel rod aside. _Spirits!_

If someone opening the door was surprising, it was nothing compared to the shock and confusion that came with who that someone was.

 _The boy from my dream!_

A boy, with a blue arrow tattoo on his shaved head, was pointing a staff at me, looking almost as surprised and confused as I was. _No way. Is he...?_

"Who are you?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm Misuki, I'm Zuko's prisoner, and I would absolutely love to get out of here. And you are?" I said almost sarcastically.

He grinned. _How does he trust me so easily?_ "I'm Aang, I'm the Avatar, and in that case, follow me!"

I didn't have time to stand and gawk in awe. I just grabbed the steel leg of the bed, because I had to have some sort of weapon, and ran after him, heart pounding out of my chest.

"Hey," Aang called over his shoulder. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get to the deck, would you?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, no clue. Prisoner, remember? I don't exactly have the layout memorized!"

He shrugged, speeding ahead. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, excitement nearly clouding my mind. _Focus, for spirits' sake! You can't let yourself get distracted!_

Aang skidded to a stop in front of a ladder leading to a circular hatch.

"This looks promising!" he chirped. I looked at him in bemusement. He seemed more like a kid than an mighty hero... _Misuki!_ _ **Focus!**_ _Stop analyzing and start_ _ **fighting!**_

He easily unscrewed it with... Airbending?! _**Focus!**_ I scaled the ladder quickly behind him, rod tucked into my belt. We were in the main control room, apparently, and I ducked to the ground, knocking the helmsman off his feet with a sweep to the ankles.

Aang twisted his wooden staff quickly in the air, and orange wings spread from it, forming a... glider of some sort.

"Hop on!" he shouted, running out onto an upper deck.

With a squeak of surprise, I threw myself on top of it, and we soared into the air... Until a hand wrapped around my ankle, dragging us downward.

I turned my head in shock, gasping to see Zuko clinging to me, his amber eyes ablaze with fire. I tried to kick him off, but it was too little too late, and we hit the deck hard. I put my hands up to guard my face as I skidded along the steel.

I laid there for a moment before scrambling to my feet, pulling the metal rod out of my belt and taking a fighting stance. _Ha. Haha. Yeah, you're going to die._

I ignored my inner taunting voice and focused on Zuko, who had risen to his feet as well. Aang got to his feet and faced him, looking very unsure of himself. Zuko's narrowed, angry eyes darted back and forth between the Avatar and myself. Suddenly, a growl tore through the air. I turned to face the sound, and my jaw hit the ground.

A giant. Fluffy. Beast. Was flying. Right. At us.

"What is that thing?" Zuko exclaimed. _My thoughts exactly._

Two people jumped from out of its saddle, and my jaw hit the ground yet again. One of the young teens standing there was the girl from my dream! And come to think of it, the boy had been there too. _Okay, this has gotten just plain weird._

Aang turned back to Zuko, who fired off a volley of fireballs at him. The boy spun his staff to dispel the flames, which lifted him up into the air, landing on the railing. I ran at Zuko with light, quick footsteps, rod raised like a katana ready to strike.

The prince easily deflected my blows, so I threw the steel leg aside and began punching and kicking at him. I knew there was no way my bare fisted blows were going to beat his Firebending, but they should be enough to distract him from the young Avatar, at least.

I was wrong. He dodged my strikes, and the clearly annoyed teen sent a wave of fire my way, knocking me backwards into the arms of the Water Tribe boy. Zuko turned back to attacking Aang, and I struggled to my feet, since the boy had dropped me harshly on the ground.

"Sokka!" scolded the girl, who was his sister, presumably. "You don't just..."

He pointed his club at me. "Who are you? Are you with the Fire Nation?"

I glared at him and his stupidity. "Yes, what gave it away? Was it the green eyes, native to the Earth Kingdom? The fact that I attacked the Prince of said Fire Nation? Please, enlighten me!"

I didn't feel as though his idiotic question should even be credited with a non-sarcastic response. I realized that I wasn't going to be any help in this fight, so I stood by the Water Tribe... Siblings? I still didn't have confirmation on that, but they looked so much alike I didn't see how they could be anything else.

I turned back to watch the fight, just in time to see Aang fall into the freezing ocean. I sucked in a breath. _No._ The Water Tribe girl wasn't quite so silent with her fear.

"Aang! No!" she screamed.

Zuko leaned over the railing, staring down at the spot where the boy had disappeared. The girl kept screaming the Avatar's name, driving me crazy. Finally, I just turned around and smacked her arm.

"That is _not_ helping!" I shouted. "You are a citizen of the Water Tribe, aren't you? Are you a Waterbender?"

Her blue eyes widened. "Y-yes!"

"Then get him out of the water, for spirits' sake!" I growled.

Apparently, that wasn't necessary, as a huge waterspout crashed up through the water, the Airbender in the middle directing its flow. The sight took my breath away; his face contorted into an angry scowl, his eyes and tattoos glowing a blinding white... _Just like in my dream..._

Aang landed on the deck, bringing the water around him into a protective shield before throwing his arms out. The incredible Waterbending moved outwards, and, avoiding us, knocked Zuko and most of the guards overboard. I stared in amazement. The small, cheerful boy I had met a few minutes before had been replaced by an intense, brutal warrior.

I would be lying if I said I didn't approve of the change. I would also be lying if I said it didn't scare me to some degree.

"Did you see what he just did?" The Water Tribe girl sounded just as shocked as I felt. Of course, I didn't feel the need to _show_ every emotion in my voice or on my face like she did... This girl was seriously starting to get on my nerves.

"Now _that's_ some Waterbending," the boy, Sokka, said, impressed.

The small boy's glow faded out, and he collapsed to the deck in exhaustion. The three of us ran over to him, and the girl (I seriously needed to learn her name) knelt down, holding the tattooed youth.

"Aang! Are you okay?"

I rolled my eyes at her overemotional attitude. She may have been a bender, but she couldn't be farther from a warrior. Then again, that's what I was thinking about the young Avatar not half an hour before...

"Hey, Katara. Hey Sokka," he said weakly. "Thanks for coming. Is Misuki there?"

"Well, I couldn't let you have all the glory," Sokka joked. "And if you mean the angry Earth Kingdom girl, yeah, she's here."

I bent down into his line of sight with a small smile, after shooting a glare at Sokka.

"You did great, and I would love to gush about it, but we kind of need to get out of here before Prince Charming gets back on board, so can we get a move on?"

He nodded. "My staff..."

Sokka stood back up. "Got it!"

He ran off to fetch the staff, and Katara helped Aang to his feet. I turned, facing the few soldiers who had managed to remain on deck. They were beginning to rise to their feet, and my eyes widened as I realized that the three companions and their... Bison? (It looked like one anyway) wouldn't make it out in time before they were attacked.

Grabbing my own staff (the steel leg of the bed I had severed earlier), I struck a stance between my new allies and the soldiers.

"Get Aang out of here!" I yelled. "I'll hold 'em off!"

I knew already that it was hopeless, that this battle was lost before it began, but if I could do even this one thing to help the Avatar, then I would gladly fight. I held the steel rod in position, and ran towards the soldiers, bobbing and weaving to avoid their fireballs. One of them realized that I was a bit too agile to beat in projectile fighting, and engaged in close combat instead.

I blocked his roundhouse punch with the staff, and struck him with it on the side of his knee, making him stumble. An arm from behind barred itself across my throat, blocking my airways with a headlock. _Stay calm. Anchor, turn, and breathe._ I threw my weapon to the side and yanked down on the arm restraining my breathing, which wasn't enough to remove it, but just enough to give my airways passage.

I thrust my foot backwards in a scoop kick, and I must have hit _something_ important, because my attacker groaned and let go of me. Spinning away from him, I rear kicked a third soldier in the chest. _Wow, maybe I_ _ **can**_ _win this fight!_

A bright flash out of the corner of my eye distracted me, and I turned to see what had caused it. Zuko and Iroh were working together to form a large fire blast aimed right for the bison. Rushing at the pair, I dove and kicked Zuko's legs out from under him just a split second after he and his uncle had shot off the flames. _Crap!_

I looked up in horror from my position lying on the steel, expecting to see my new allies fall burnt from the sky. The rushing fire hurtled towards them, crackling in the frigid Southern air. Aang swung his staff, thankfully deflecting the fireball and forcing it to swerve into a icy cliff. Unfortunately, that cliff was positioned directly over our ship, and the redirected projectile caused a heaping amount of snow and ice to avalanche onto the deck.

I smiled and breathed out a sigh of relief. _Good luck, Avatar Aang. I have a feeling this battle has only begun._ As if confirming my thoughts, a sharp kick lodged itself in my ribs, causing me to cry out in surprise. I flew away from the foot, looking up to see a furious Prince looking down at me, hatred glowing in his amber eyes.

"How _dare_ you help the Avatar?!" he shouted, stalking towards me.

I backed away as quickly as I could, trying desperately to get my feet under me, and failing. I surveyed my situation frantically, and it wasn't good. I had no bending, there was no way I could take him in a fight while he had his Firebending, the rod I had claimed as a weapon was lying on the other end of the deck, and I had never seen Zuko as angry as he was now. The angrier he was, the more dangerous he was, that much was certain.

I put on my brave mask that I had needed at so many times in this journey, and looked defiantly up at him, despite the growing terror in my chest.

"Of course I helped the Avatar! He's the last hope for peace in this spirit-forsaken world, thanks to your insane, ruthless nation!" _Oh my spirits, shut up! Why are you antagonising him?! He's going to_ _ **kill**_ _you, for crap's sake!_

I listened to myself for once and continued to scramble away from the red faced teen until my back hit up against the wall supporting the railing that stood between me and the freezing waters below. He shot a hand out and snatched my braid up. I cried out in pain as he yanked it roughly, dragging me after him to below deck.

Iroh said something in protest; what he said I don't know, because I was preoccupied with being petrified. Now I had done it. Zuko may have shown mercy on me in the past, but I had done the unforgivable this time, standing between him and his goal. His words from the past echoed in my brain.

 _You are very lucky that my uncle has taken such a liking to you. He saved your skin back on that island. However, if you get in my way, you will be punished, and there's nothing he can do to stop that, because I will have order on my ship! Do I make myself clear?_

 _Spirits, I am so dead._

* * *

 **A/N Ooh, so Zuko is pretty pissed. Don't worry, you won't have to be angry about my cliffhanger tendencies this time, as the next chapter is already in the works! Yay, I actually got a frickin work ethic for once! *Pats myself on back* Hey, guys, so Sunday is my birthday, and you know what would be the BEST PRESENT EVER? Yup, you guessed it, I am shamelessly asking for reviews, using my birthday as a bargaining chip! So make me the happiest birthday girl around, and review my story! Thanks guys! Bye!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I said I got a work ethic, and a work ethic I got! I've been writing my butt off! Between this story and working on Zutara week, my Word program is exhausted! Enjoy! -Nerdy J**

* * *

Aang sadly looked back at the direction from which they had fled.

"I still think we should have brought her with us," he declared for the tenth time since they had left Zuko's ship.

Sokka frowned. "I know, but we didn't have a choice. If we had stayed any longer, those soldiers would have attacked, and who knows if we would have been able to get out of there. That girl probably saved us. She knew what she was doing."

The young Airbender shook his head. "Next time we see them, we're going to rescue her. Just think about what that guy could be doing to her right now for helping us."

Katara sighed. "She's definitely not the nicest person I've ever met, but no one deserves to be in Fire Nation custody."

The three friends sat in solemn silence as they soared through the skies.

* * *

I couldn't help but cry out as he dragged me down the hall. My scalp was burning badly from my braid being pulled taut that way. Zuko was walking so fast that I couldn't return to my feet, instead of sliding along the steel behind him. The Fire Prince opened a door with his free hand, and proceeded to throw me across the room as though I weighed nothing.

I slammed up against a wall, quickly taking this opportunity to regain my footing. The steel door slammed behind him, and he walked towards me slowly, in a horribly predatorial way that spelled doom. My eyes darted around the room feverishly for something, _anything_ I could defend myself with. I noticed a set of dual dao swords on the other side of the large cabin, but calculated that I wouldn't be able to make it there in time before being apprehended. Nothing else stood out to me as a weapon, so that left me with my fists. My dainty, petite fists that could knock a full grown man out cold; provided I had a good target.

 _Not a good idea. He's stronger than you, and you know that his fighting skills are more advanced, too. The most you would do is piss him off even more, and that won't end well._

So I stood there, chin lifted high in the air, trying desperately to pull up my smooth, emotionless mask. My frantic thoughts clouded my mind, though, leaving cracks in my facade. _I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry, Haru. I know I said I would come back home one day, but I don't think I'll be able to make it. I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough._

His hand flicked out suddenly, pinning me roughly against the wall by my throat. I reached up with my own, pulling and scrabbling at his hold, but he was unrelenting. Choking, my vision began darkening all together too fast. I struggled to collect my final thoughts, but nothing came to me.

"You have been living rather comfortably for a prisoner," he hissed. "I hope you enjoyed it, because the games end now."

* * *

She made a strangled noise, as though she were trying to say something. I hesitated a few seconds more, then released her, allowing her small body to slide to the floor. I watched coldly as she held her throat, gasping for air.

"Did you have something to say, _peasant_?" I said in a mocking tone.

She glared up at me, deep green eyes watering, as oxygen finally returned to her lungs.

"You... Can... Kill me..." she said, voice raspy. "But know... That I regret... _Nothing._ "

I stared at her in disbelief. _This girl can't be human. It's just plain impossible for someone to not be afraid right now._ I studied her face closely. Her brave face was slipping, and I could see what lied beneath. Her eyes shone with fear, her lip was trembling slightly, and she was overall just a scared little girl. _But she's brave despite the fear. Isn't that even more impressive?_ My quieter voice coaxed.

I looked down at her for a moment more, actually considering letting her off easy. _What are you doing? She needs to learn her place! Teach her respect, as your father taught you!_ My heart hardened against the smaller voice, and I dragged her to her feet once more. Standing unsteadily, leaning against the wall with one hand as she continued to catch her breath, she closed her eyes tightly.

Raising my fist, I allowed the skin of my hand to heat, grasping her chin firmly with my other.

"Look at me," I growled. She resolutely kept her eyes shut.

I released a slight amount of fire into the hand holding her, not enough to burn, but just enough to hurt. Crying out, she opened her eyes, wide and fearful.

"Good. You're learning to obey. The better you listen to my orders, the better you survive around here. Remember?"

She nodded as much as she could with her chin in my grip. I smiled.

"Now, tell me. What was the first rule I gave you when I brought you aboard this ship?" I said, calmly as possible when I was furious beneath the skin. _Calm and collected will scare her more than angry and yelling. Because that's all I'm trying to do. Just scare her. Right?_

She didn't answer, meeting my gaze steadily. I slapped her across the face with my raised, heated hand, her cheek instantly turning an angry red where I had struck her. Her head snapped to the side, and she cried out before gritting her teeth together and meeting my eyes once more.

"Do you want to try this again, filth?" I hissed.

* * *

 _Don't give him the satisfaction of breaking you. You cannot, you_ _ **will not**_ _be broken! Don't show your pain. Don't show your weakness. Don't show your fear. Don't let them see how much it hurts._

I met his angry glare, ignoring the burning pain searing my skin, ignoring the tears threatening to overwhelm me. He pushed his hand into the spot he had slapped, slowly heating his palm. I cried out against my will. _Don't scream, don't scream, don't you_ _ **dare**_ _scream..._

"Answer me!" Zuko shouted. My face was hurting so badly, my back being burned was nothing compared to this agony, I wanted to just sleep and never wake up, better yet, just let me die right here...

Another burst of heat entered my skin, and despite all my emotional training, despite my brain hissing not to...

I screamed.

The door slammed open, and Zuko dropped me on the floor. I clutched the spot on my right cheek where he had been heating, and quite possibly burning, my skin, curling up as small as I possibly could. I wanted to cry, spirits, I wanted to cry.

I let out a dry sob, curling up tighter. Someone touched my shoulder, and I flinched away, only prying my eyes open when I heard Iroh's soothing voice.

"Misuki, I need you to let me look at your face. If we don't treat that burn quickly, it may scar." he said gently.

I removed my hand from my seared cheek, and Iroh sucked in a deep breath when he saw it before plastering a reassuring smile back onto his face. Obviously, the smile was fake, but I was hurting so much at the moment that I couldn't even find it in me to think about anything other than the thoughts already playing through my head:

 _I underestimated Zuko_. _He is a monster, just like every other Firebender._

* * *

I couldn't bring myself to look at her, to see what I had done. Storming out of the room, I slammed the door behind me. _She's fine, the overdramatic little..._

 _But she_ _ **screamed.**_ _Even when you burned her back, she kept her mouth shut._

 _So? Why should I care? She got what she deserved. She broke every rule I set. She fought, she tried to escape, and she angered me. I was perfectly entitled to punish her._

 _No, you weren't. Do you really think that she deserved to be burned, possibly scarred?_

 _I did_ _ **not**_ _scar her!_

 _You don't know that._

I put my head in my hands, leaning against the railing. _When did I even get on the deck...?_ I thought, still slightly dazed from what I had done.

Footsteps came up behind me, and I knew immediately what was about to go down. _And here comes the lecture._

"Prince Zuko, do you know what you have done?" Uncle said. His voice wasn't angry, as I expected. It was... Sad. My heart clenched despite myself. _No. No no. I didn't..._

"I didn't mean to scar her, Uncle. I swear I didn't. I just got carried away. Please tell me it'll fade," I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear me.

He didn't respond, but the silence was answer enough for me. Shamefaced, I cursed, turning to face him. His brownish gold eyes were reproachful, but also sympathetic.

"We can hope. There is always the possibility that it won't last permanently, however, it is more likely that she will bear that mark for life."

I feel sick to my stomach, sinking to the deck. _"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher!"_ I buried my head in my hands again, cringing at the overwhelming guilt of what I had done.

"I never..." I choked. _Spirits... I've_ _ **scarred**_ _that beautiful, innocent girl. I've ruined her for life! I've turned her into the same beast that my father made me._ My normally loud, overpowering voice didn't comment, fading away sheepishly into the background.

* * *

 **A/N ZUKO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? Ahem. Some news: From the 18th to the 26th, I will be on vacation. I most likely won't have access to WiFi, and even if I do, I most certainly won't have any time to write. I'll work hard and get as many chapters written between now and then, but Zutara week will have to take the foreground, because I'm going to be gone for HALF OF THAT WEEK! I'll have to write all of my prompts before I leave so I can post all the days I missed the second I get back! Sorry. Slightly panicked... Please review! It means the world to me!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Wow. Can I just say, last chapter definitely turned out differently than I expected. I mean, I always intended for Misuki to help Aang, then face the consequences, but Zuko burning her face was NOT in my neat little mental outline, let me tell ya! Ha, that moment when your own story surprises you, right? Enjoy this chapter, even though it's kinda filler! -Nerdy J**

* * *

"I think she's coming to..."

 _Was I unconscious? I thought I fell asleep... No, I definitely lost consciousness._

Forcing myself out of the remaining dregs of sleep, er, unconsciousness, I noticed three things. First, the right side of my face was burning, feeling as though Zuko's heated hand was still pressed into my cheek. Second, there were hot tears running down my cheeks against my will. Third, a feeling of relief at who stood over me.

"Akan," I whispered.

He smiled tightly at me, brushing a chunk of my bangs out of my face.

"Hey, Misuki," he said quietly.

I didn't want to try to move, I could barely speak, and despite my best efforts, the tears kept coming down, but Akan's presence somehow soothed my battered mind and body.

"How... How bad is it? Be honest, okay?" I said hoarsely. My throat was hurting horribly too, now that I thought about it, and my foggy mind considered that perhaps Zuko's grip around my neck had done more damage than I realized at the time.

He winced slightly. _Why can't anyone keep their feelings_ _ **under**_ _their skin? Where has_ _ **that**_ _sacred process gone?_

"I, uh, I don't know. It's bandaged up pretty good... You should get some more rest, if you can. You've only been out for a couple hours, and you've got a lot of healing to do." Akan lightly touched my tear-stained, uninjured cheek. "I'm so sorry, Misuki..."

His voice faded out as I fell back under the black veil so determined to hold me.

* * *

I spent roughly an hour arguing with myself (after the initial two hours of berating myself) before deciding to go the medical bay and check on the girl. I then spent about fifteen minutes staring at the door. My uncle came out of the room, a grim expression on his face, though it changed to one of surprise when he saw me.

"How is she?" I muttered. _Are you seriously going to ask him instead of looking for yourself? Coward!_

 _Shut up._

"She is unconscious, currently. For the best, though; she will need plenty of strength to recover." The words were a bit harsh, but a tone of sympathy cut through them. _Not just sympathy for her. For me. Because I'm a horrible person._

 _Don't forget coward._

I growled and pushed past Uncle Iroh on my way into the medical bay. I blanched a bit upon seeing the right side of her face covered in clean white bandages, while she lay still upon a cot. _That's probably how you looked after your Agni Kai._

This whole conscientious thing was getting annoying. It was much harder to ignore the fact that I had turned the same fate that had befallen me onto another (and a _girl,_ Agni, what my mother would say if she could see me now!) when a guilt-inducing voice wouldn't stop nagging me.

Hesitantly, I stepped closer to her, cringing when I noticed the purple bruising wrapping around her throat. _Well, I suppose everything I've done is pretty frickin obvious. Bruises on her neck, a burn on her cheek, I wouldn't be surprised if she had a cracked rib; I threw her into the wall pretty hard..._

I couldn't help it, my thoughts drifted back to the same place they had been for the past several hours, that is, when my Agni Kai wasn't on repeat...

* * *

 _ **"Zuko, even if Azula was teasing, you shouldn't have hit her," Mother admonished.**_

 _ **"I got more beat up than she did!" I said, anger prominent even on my eight year old face.**_

 _ **She smiled ruefully, giving me a bag of ice to hold against my swiftly blackening eye.**_

 _ **"That may be true, but you shouldn't have started it. If it can at all be avoided, don't use your fists, or even your bending. Use your words, Zuko."**_

 _ **I frowned. "But Azula burns me all the time! Why can't I hurt her back?"**_

 _ **My mother hugged me tightly to her. "You are better than that. Don't ever forget what I've told you."**_

 _ **Sighing, I leaned into her embrace. "Okay. Mom?"**_

 _ **"Yes?"**_

 _ **"I love you."**_

 _ **"I love you too, turtleduck."**_

* * *

A groan snapped me out of the trance I had fallen under. The girl opened her eyes slowly, and my heart stopped briefly. _Crap._

Her green eyes were unfocused for a moment, but an instant later they settled on me. The Earthbender cried out and moved away, face pale with pain, or perhaps fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" I said indignantly. _What, does she think I came to finish her off?!_

She kept scrambling back, falling off the bed with a scream. I moved around to get her back up, but she was already struggling to her feet. Her legs dropped out from under her, and she collapsed again with a moan.

"Stay... Back..." she wheezed. Tears ran down her face, and I froze. _She's_ _ **crying.**_ _She's never cried, not once. She's crying, oh Agni, she's crying._ I was never good with crying people in the first place. Now I had to deal with a girl who I had never seen spill a tear, who _I_ had made cry.

Guilt kicked me in the gut again. The girl was hands down _terrified._ I must have snapped something in her; I must have _broken_ her somehow. Every part of me hurt looking at her, lying there on the floor, bandages covering half her face, tears leaking out. Now that she was out of the bed I could see that there were some bandages wrapped around her middle as well. _Guess I was right about the ribs..._

I slowly walked towards her, hands held up in a non-threatening way. My conscience wouldn't allow me to leave her lying on the floor, crying, injured, and weak. And I like to think that I have more honor than that, at least.

"You're fine," I said in what I hoped was a soothing voice. _Don't scare her any more than she already is. She might hurt herself more._ "Let me help you."

Her eyes were frantic, and she clutched her side, trying in vain to get to her feet. I was getting pretty ticked off, to be honest. I hadn't done anything so bad that she should be shaking in fear like that when I was clearly not going to hurt her.

 _You know, except attacking her village, threatening her family, kidnapping her, threatening her, burning her, locking her up, taking away her element, causing serious illness, treating her like dirt, burning her again, causing serious injuries and possible permanent scarring..._

 _Oh, Agni, I am a monster._

The doctor chose that moment to return, of course, and his eyes narrowed in a death glare as he took in the scene. Now that I think about it, it didn't look good. The mortally wounded girl lying on the ground crying, her assailant standing over her... Great. Now I'm beating up small, defenseless girls. Fantastic. As if the rumors aren't already soaring around the ship, depicting my ruthlessness towards the Earthbender girl, who, apparently, was more well-liked among my men than I believed. The crew was practically mutinous when they heard what I had done.

"Prince Zuko, I understand you are angry, but unless you _want_ her dead, you must leave immediately," he said cooly. "My patient has sustained substantial damage to her facial tissue, which you, of all people, should know, takes a great deal of rest to heal. She also has bruised ribs, which I hope have not been strained by...whatever _this_ is. Not to mention the bruising coating most of her body, as well as possible _head trauma!_ You may be captain of this ship but I will not allow you to come in here and wreak more havoc on this girl!"

By the end of his rant, the usually calm man was shouting. Normally, I would have instantly thrown anyone who spoke that way to me off the ship, but that _annoying_ conscience of mine reminded me that every word he said was a fact. I looked at the quaking girl and nodded sharply, before quickly storming out of the medical bay.

* * *

I opened my eyes, squinting at the ceiling. Everything looked sort of blurry. _Where am I? What happened...?_ It came back to me in a rush. _The Avatar. Zuko. Burning. Pain._

Gasping, I sat up, crying out when my side felt the effects of it. Looking down in surprise, I noticed white bandages wrapped around my center. Shifting slightly proved that something had happened to my ribs, though the pain wasn't nearly as bad without sudden movements. _How did... Hm. Well, he did kick me, and then I got thrown into the wall pretty hard. Guess I shouldn't be too surprised._

I glanced around the medical bay, a place that was, unfortunately, becoming a second home of sorts to me, and noted that no one was in there with me. _Wonder how long I was out for?_ Frowning, I realized with a jolt that nothing, not even my face, hurt as much as I remembered.

"I'm going to hope that's because Kenta did some impressive medical magic, and not because I've been unconscious for an insane amount of time," I muttered under my breath, swinging my legs over the side of the cot I was on.

I guess I overestimated my strength, because the instant I inched off the bed, my legs turned to jelly and buckled under me.

"Crap," I groaned, a thousand different aches and pains springing up on my body. _Well then. That was far from my most intelligent moment._

As luck would have it, Kenta, the ship's doctor, entered the medical bay just then. Upon seeing me on the floor, his face went through an almost humorous series of emotions. Shock, relief, and anger flashed over him like a lightning strike.

He glared at me as he called down the hall for assistance. "I need a soldier to fetch Prince Zuko immediately!"

"You must be kidding me," he shouted, pivoting back to face me. "Why is it that every time I leave the room for ten minutes, I come back to find you on the floor, undoing all your progress?!"

I grinned sheepishly, though with the pain I was now feeling, it was probably more of a grimace. The doctor lifted me under my arms, pulling me to my feet with ease and setting me on the bed. _Dang. Okay then, guess Kenta is stronger than he looks._

"I don't think you can say every time, Kenta. I don't recall landing on the floor before today, unless you count the excessive amount of passing out I've been doing on this ship," I said sarcastically.

He raised his eyebrows slightly. "What is the last thing you remember?"

I furrowed my brow, concentrating in my still fuzzy memories of that day. "Um... Oh, yeah. I remember Akan coming in to visit me; I think he said I'd been out for a couple hours? Then I fell unconscious, and that's all til now. Hey, how long was I out, anyway?"

His eyebrows raised further. "Interesting. Very interesting... And to answer your question, it has been two weeks since your, ah, incident."

 _Two weeks?!_

"How in the heck was I unconscious for two weeks?" I demanded. "Why didn't I wake up before now?"

Kenta shook his head at me, frowning. "Stop getting excited. You're still healing. And you were not unconscious. You were under the influence of a strong, sleep inducing tea. You were awakened periodically to eat, take another dose of tea, and have your bandages changed. You don't remember anything from these times, of course, however..."

I cut him off. "Okay, excuse me, what?" I snapped. "You had me _drugged_ for two weeks?! What the hell, Kenta?"

He narrowed his brown eyes at me sternly. "It was for your own good. It allowed your body's resources to be fully focused on healing you. Besides that, you have a habit of trying to get up before you are ready." He gestured towards me, as I held my side. "Exhibit A. We took you off the tea yesterday, thinking you could recover while awake now."

I pondered his words for a moment, then chose to stick my tongue out at him childishly, causing him to throw his hands up in exasperation.

* * *

 **A/N I will TRY to post one more chapter before I leave, but I'm outta here on Tuesday, so goodness knows if I'll make it in time. If I can't get another chapter done in time to post before I fly out, then I won't be back til... I think you can count on a chapter on the 28th or 29th. Hopefully. Ya like this chapter? There's this really cool magic box down below, and it transports feelings of appreciation and motivation to the author of this story! Cool, right?! (The sarcasm is strong in this one XD) Bye!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Sorry guys. You know how family vacations work. NO PRIVACY WHATSOEVER FOR WRITING. Anyway... Oh my gosh. So this story hit 23 followers?! What?! I am in shock, y'all! This is more than I could have hoped for, really. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

"Prince Zuko?"

I turned from where I was studying a map, my uncle beside me.

"Yes?" I said, ignoring the generally pissed off look the soldier was giving me. _Okay, I should not be getting dirty looks two weeks later. Seriously! Do these people have nothing better to do than sit around and gossip for two weeks straight?! Last I checked, they have_ _ **jobs**_ _to do!_

" _Misuki_ has woken up. The doctor sent me to get you." Another thing that had been happening recently: whenever anyone referred to the girl, they made it a point to use her name. So, in case I hadn't already realized I screwed up twenty times over, I had an entire ship of men reminding me.

"I'll be right there," I replied, returning to the map. He nodded sharply, turned on his heel, and took his leave.

I stalled as long as possible (about fifteen minutes), while Uncle watched in amusement. After I re-rolled the map for the twelfth time, he cleared his throat.

"Ah, Prince Zuko? Perhaps we should head off to the medical bay. Not to undermine the importance of a well rolled map, but..." He was trying nobly to keep his laughter hidden, but was failing quite miserably.

I nodded, avoiding his eyes. He chuckled, and walked out the door, with me following.

* * *

I sat on the bed, glaring at Kenta, who was very annoyingly dodging my questions.

"I'm serious. I have every right to know how badly injured I am! It's my body, last I checked!"

"And I've told you, you're not ready to process that kind of information yet. You're still healing; I don't want you getting overexcited. Maybe in another week."

"Will it be any more healed in another week?"

"No."

"Then what's the point of waiting?!"

"If you see it and get worked up, which you undoubtedly will, you could have a relapse, and that's the last thing we want."

I blew my bangs out of my face with a huff.

"You're impossible to reason with."

" _I'm_ impossible to reason with?!"

I grinned. Finally. It took me forever to get him to crack. Kenta was ever so much more fun when he was pissed off than when he was calm and clinical.

A knock sounded on the door, and the fuming doctor took a deep breath, calming himself, before opening it.

I cringed involuntarily when Zuko walked through the door behind Iroh. _Stop it! Don't show your fear!_

Gathering myself, I forced my eyes towards the friendlier of the royal pair. "Hello, Iroh," I greeted. "Long time no see."

He inclined his head with a smile. "Hello, Misuki. Feeling better, I presume?"

I nodded. "Much."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Zuko staring at the bandage covering most of the right half of my face. Turning to face him, I narrowed my eyes.

"Is there a problem?" I growled.

He seemed to relax visibly from the tense position he held.

* * *

Her green eyes were shooting sparks at me once more. _Thank goodness._ I most definitely preferred her angry at me over terrified. Her hating my guts was the natural order of things. It was how the world worked on this little ship of mine. Anger, I could deal with. Fear, I could not.

I rolled my eyes, looking away.

"Shut up, peasant," I muttered, with considerably less venom than usual. She must have noticed as well, as her eyebrows shot up before she could harness them.

"Anyway... Back to the topic at hand... Iroh! Please tell Kenta that I can handle seeing my face without the bandages. Or that he should at least tell me how bad the damage is." she pleaded. _Kenta? Who...? Oh. Wait, why is that I don't know anyone's name, yet she... Nope. Not getting into it now._

Uncle and the doctor exchanged a look, seemingly having a conversation with their facial expressions.

"I still advise against it, but if I don't remove your bandages, I'm afraid you'll do it yourself," the doctor sighed.

She grinned cheekily at him. "You know me so well."

I knew I needed to be in here for this, but I wanted to run so badly. I had seen the damage I had done to her that day, and I didn't want to see what the end result looked like.

The doctor propped up a mirror in front of her, and reached for the white bandage, before pausing and looking her in the eye.

"Are you ready, Misuki? You don't have to look in the mirror yet if you don't want to. It's up to you."

She hesitated, as though second guessing herself, but took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yeah. I need to."

The doctor (whose name was Kenta, I guess) removed the bandage from her face, stepping away sadly. He already knew what laid beneath the cloth, however, neither his patient nor I had any idea the severity of the scar.

I felt sick to my stomach.

 _Monster._

* * *

I couldn't remember ever wanting to cry as much as I did then. A reddened mark stretched from the top of my right cheek bone, just below the eye, and wrapped beneath my jaw, covering the majority of the right side of my face in between. In the center of my cheek, where the heat had been most focused, the flesh was a darker crimson. The scar in its entirety looked mangled, certain spots more than others; those spots looked sickeningly like where his fingers must have laid.

I felt tears welling up, but bit my lip hard against the screams and sobs I desperately wanted to unleash. A trickle of blood ran down my chin, but I ignored it, transfixed on the mark I would have to wear for life. Kenta took the mirror away quickly when he saw my distressed countenance.

He shook his head sadly at me. "I tried to warn you, Misuki. I'm sorry."

 _He...he made me look...just like him..._

A strangled cry rose up from the back of my throat, and my eyes burned with unshed tears that couldn't remain back any longer. Iroh folded me gently into a hug, and I clutched onto him like a lifeline, crying and not caring anymore.

 _Who cares? I'm already broken, nothing I do can change that. Holding it in won't make me strong anymore._

There was the sound of boots, and I turned tearfully to see Akan. His eyes widened when he saw my face, but the shock faded quickly into fury. My friend turned to the Prince, and I swear, he could have Firebender right then and there if he set his mind to it. If I didn't know better, I'd say Zuko was almost afraid.

"Fight me, Prince Zuko," he snarled.

I scrambled off the bed where I had sat in Iroh's arms, and grabbed Akan by the elbow.

"Don't," I whispered to him, tears still running down my cheeks. "It's not worth it. I won't let you get hurt for me. You're not even a bender!"

He turned his gaze to me, and I nearly flinched at the intense, smoldering rage in his muddy gold eyes.

"I won't let him hurt you like this, Misuki," he growled. "I told you I would keep you safe. Instead I stood there like a coward while he dragged you away. I am going to fight him. And I'm going to win."

I fell silent. Akan could be as stubborn as me when he wanted to. He turned back to Prince Zuko, and narrowed his eyes once more.

"If I win, you never lay a hand on Misuki again," he hissed.

Zuko raised his good eyebrow at this statement, arms crossed. "And if you lose?"

Akan looked at the ground for a solid minute before looking back up, fire in his eyes.

"If I lose, I will leave the ship at the next port. For good."

* * *

 **A/N You guys didn't think I'd really go through with it, did you? I didn't think I'd go through with it either, but I felt edgy and decided she could end up with the scar. It should be interesting to see how Misuki deals with it on an emotional as well as physical level, and to see how Zuko handles the mental anguish of knowing he's done the same thing as his father did to him. I also left you with a lovely cliffhanger... I'm a horrible person, aren't I? XD If it makes you feel better, I almost cried when I was describing the scar.**

 **Okay, everybody! Pay close attention now, cuz I've got an important announcement. So, my friend Mullach21 has posted a new story, a Tokka story! As someone who's been reading it as it's written, I can assure you it is top notch quality, some of the best stuff you'll find on this site. The title is** _ **Unintentional Dating,**_ **and I strongly suggest you give it a read. Okay! That's all for now. Sorry about the long A/N, but I'm a chatty gal. Happy Zutara Week, y'all!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N I'm embarrassed, honestly, I am. I took a ridiculously long time to get out this ridiculously low-quality, short chapter. I'm ashamed. You can throw rotten fruit or eggs or something at me if you want. I'll get out the next chapter ASAP, I swear. Thank you to GrinLikeTheCheshireCat for curing me of writer's block! You were a huge help, and I will use more of your idea in the next chapter as well. You rock. -Nerdy J**

* * *

I thought it over for a moment. Was there any possible way this could backfire on me? _How can it? He's a non-bender, I've been training in Firebending since I was a kid. I will get rid of this nuisance of a soldier who keeps talking back to me... Nothing can possibly go wrong._

I allowed my confidence to shine on my face.

"Perfect. I accept your 'challenge'."

The Earthbender's fearful expression wasn't lost on me, rather, it annoyed me to no end. Was there something going on between my prisoner and soldier that I didn't know about? _How is it that I don't know anything that happens on_ _ **my**_ _ship?!_

* * *

We moved to the part of the deck that wasn't wrecked from the Avatar's attack in the South Pole. The girl insisted on coming outside to watch the fight, even though she had just woken up from a two week long slumber and been fairly traumatized only a half hour before... Speaking of which, how did she do that?! Just sob, and then brush it off like nothing?

 _Focus, Zuko. Win this fight, then you can worry about the prisoner's mental health._

 _Not that I'm worried._

 _Because...I'm not._

We both took our positions, and my experienced, trained eye quickly began breaking up his stance. _His stance is solid, but too bladed. If I strike him at that angle, he won't have a brace..._

"Prince Zuko, are you sure this is a good idea?" Uncle called, concern lacing his voice.

I didn't respond, keeping my eyes trained on my opponent.

"Alright, are both parties ready?" shouted Lieutenant Jee.

The two of us nodded slightly. I was vaguely aware that most of the crew was on deck watching our match. _All the better. I want plenty of people to see my victory._

"Begin!"

* * *

I watched, horrified, as a fire blast immediately launched itself at Akan's head. My friend ducked to the ground, sliding easily out of the way. He continued weaving between flames as he made his way closer to Zuko. Slowly, my fear for his safety began melting away, leaving curiosity as well as interest.

 _Zuko fights so rigidly, so stiffly. He fights like a soldier. I suppose he was trained that way. But Akan... He's almost casual while he dodges._

 _This should be fun._

* * *

I was getting angry. He wasn't fighting the way he should. He wasn't fighting like the Fire Nation soldier he was. He was fighting like a...

I didn't know what he was fighting like.

He continued getting closer, his movements quickening as the pace of my strikes did. _It's time to change this up._ I made like I was firing at his head, and while he ducked to the deck, I copied his position, sending a sweeping blast of fire at his feet.

He fell on his back hard, grunting. I leapt through the air, quickly pinning him down and holding a fire dagger to his throat.

"Yield," I hissed. I didn't want to burn him, considering I was still dealing with the after effects of the last time I did that...

 _Focus!_

He struggled for a brief moment, before realizing he was trapped, and falling back to the deck.

"I...yield," he mumbled.

* * *

I covered my mouth as I saw Akan get knocked flat on his back, I would be yelling for him to get up, but when someone is holding a knife made of flames to your throat, it's time to be smart.

He yielded, and I angrily shoved down the tears. _No! You've cried enough!_

Zuko rose to his feet, a victorious smirk on his face that made me want to take him down. Akan struggled to his feet, rubbing his back. I ran across the deck, hugging him. He stepped back at first, startled. Not that I blame him, I've never been one to initiate physical contact like that. After a moment, he hugged me back, his arms enveloping me.

"I'm sorry, Misuki," he whispered.

I squeezed him tightly, burrowing my head into his chest.

"Idiot," I muttered.

* * *

Iroh watched the two teens sadly, seeing the sweet affection they clearly held for each other. _Tearing them apart seems so cruel..._

* * *

I narrowed my eyes at them. They were still embracing, and it was sickening, to be honest.

"We are approaching a Fire Nation port," I announced."You will leave the ship there."

He pulled away from the Earthbender, nodding stiffly.

"Someone _else_ escort the prisoner back to the medical bay," I said.

The girl apparently realized for the first time that nearly the whole crew was on deck, and she seemingly folded into herself, shoulders hunched and arms crossed. _Well, that's new. Who would have thought that tough-mouthed, stoic mask hid a shy little girl?_

I noted that she had taken her hair out of its usual braid, and the tangled, wild mess was hanging in her face, only one green eye peeking through. _So she's not totally indifferent to it, then. She went to the trouble to cover it._

 _Stop analyzing the Earthbender's mental process, for Agni's sake!_

* * *

I laid in the medical ward, fighting desperately to stay awake. I couldn't fall asleep! I needed to talk to Akan, to tell him how sorry I was that this happened to him for trying to protecting me...and to say goodbye. But I had been through a lot today, and I could feel the blissful call of sleep tugging at my consciousness... Just for a little while...

* * *

Akan entered the medical bay silently, shutting the door with a soft click. Walking over to the cot, he paused before attempting to awaken the sleeping girl. _She looks so cute... Gah, no, I meant calm! Calm! When she's sleeping... Almost hate to wake her up..._

* * *

"Misuki!"

I startled out of my sleep abruptly, my hand shooting up to catch the one shaking me and twisting it violently to the side.

"Ow! Let go!"

I blinked away the remnants of sleep lingering in my mind, and smiled sheepishly when I saw who I had unwittingly attacked.

"Sorry, Akan. Reflex, you know."

I released him, and he rubbed his wrist, glaring at me slightly.

"I get it, no touching you while you're sleeping, geez..."

We both caught the double meaning at the same time, and I could feel heat rise to my cheeks.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I questioned, tugging my hair to cover my burn again.

His face shifted to a serious expression, rather than his usually playful one.

"We are approaching the Fire Nation port now. I'm leaving the ship...and you're coming with me."

* * *

 **A/N Again, there is no excuse, but I hope you guys can forgive me :( This is actually my sixth draft of this chapter...**


	14. Not a chapter A farewell

**A/N**

 **Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm not supposed to use an author's note as a chapter. I got the memo. But first off, can I apologize for disappearing on y'all while writing for two competitions? So unbelievably sorry about that. Now down to why I'm really typing this up at midnight.**

 **I'm out.**

 **I'm done.**

 **Gah, this sucks horribly because this story was my first real story and all... I really don't want to abandon it like this. Unfortunately, I don't want any of my few followers (and I'm not sure anyone cares lol) to be waiting on an update that will never come. Am I abandoning this story?**

 **...**

 **I don't know. I honestly do not know. I hope not. I hope this is just a super long hiatus that will end after a few months. But I can't promise that in the least. I am absolutely done with writing right now. If anyone cares, there's a bit more detail in my profile. I love you guys, my followers, my favoriters, my reviewers (ESPECIALLY my reviewers... :)) and I hope I'll be back before too long.**

 **I hope to be back with Zuko and Misuki and the craziness that we know as teenage angst.**

 **I hope to get the rush of seeing a review pop up.**

 **I hope to feel that satisfaction that comes with another chapter done.**

 **I hope, but I don't know for sure.**

 **So much love to all of you, my beautiful fanfiction family.**

 **So much love.**

 **-** **Jo**


	15. MY FAM!

(I know, I'm not supposed to use chapters for authors notes, I'll turn myself in to the proper authorities) Hello world of fanfiction! I'm sure none of you missed me nor remembered me in the slightest, but I will choose to believe you did to boost my self esteem *waves to imaginary fans*. Well, school's out, and my life is relatively normal, for me at least. These past seven months have brought on a load of ups and downs for me, and I must say that it's been a rocky road. I think I've come out on the other side stronger than ever before, though. I hope so.

Anyway! I am cringing! So! Hard! Looking back on this steaming garbage that I wrote earlier this year. It physically pains me. So! I am considering starting this story anew, with better writing, actual knowledge of how dialogue and paragraphs work (bless anyone who managed to survive the earliest chapters), and overall much more solid plot. I hope that all of you will come join me for this adventure all over again, and maybe some new readers will come along as well!

sending you all so much love,

Jo


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